Justin Bieber, 28, revealed he has a neurological condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome in an Instagram video posted Friday. “I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on,” the singer said in the video. “Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves.”
Bieber then explained that the right side of his face was paralyzed. “[It] has caused my face to have paralysis. As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”
Later on Friday, after revealing his diagnosis, Bieber shared in an Instagram story that Ramsay Hunt was making it difficult for him to eat. “Been getting progressively harder to eat, which has been extremely frustrating. Please pray for me,” he wrote in his story, according to People.
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He said his condition is the reason he’s had to cancel concerts recently. “For those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I’m just physically, obviously, not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious, as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but, obviously, my body’s telling me I’ve got to slow down,” Bieber said. “I hope you guys understand, and I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100 percent so that I can do what I was born to do… I’ve got to get my rest on so that I can get my face back to where it’s supposed to be. Thanks for being patient with me.”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can affect children but is mostly seen in adults, occurs when the varicella-zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles) infects a nerve in the head, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). Ramsay Hunt syndrome can occur if a person had chickenpox as a child, per the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). The virus can be inactive for decades and then become reactivated and cause the symptoms associated with Ramsay Hunt, per NORD. The reason for the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus is unknown. It is believed that Ramsay Hunt occurs when the virus infects the facial nerve near the inner ear, leading to swelling of the nerve and irritation.
Source: SELF
