What Is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome? Justin Bieber Diagnosed With Partial Face Paralysis

Modern-day popular musician and Grammy winner Justin Bieber, 28, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday told his fans that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome leading to partial face paralysis.

It is a rare disorder which paralysed half of his face. It is also said to affect nerves in the face through a shake flare-up. Sharing a video after he cancelled his shows both in Toronto and Washington DC, the singer revealed that he could barely move one side of his face as his ailment was ‘pretty serious.’ He captioned his post, “Important please watch. I love you guys and keep me in your prayers.”

What Is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?

Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is an uncommon neurological condition marked by facial nerve paralysis (facial palsy) and an ear or mouth rash. Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss are two examples of ear disorders. The varicella zoster virus (VZV), which also causes chickenpox in children and shingles (herpes zoster) in adults, produces Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The previously inactive (dormant) varicella-zoster virus gets reactivated in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome and spreads to harm the facial nerve.

In the medical literature, this condition has been given a variety of labels, which might be confusing. James Ramsay Hunt, a physician who originally identified the illness in 1907, is the name given to it. More than one condition was known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome a year ago. The condition reported in this study is now known as Ramsay-Hunt syndrome. Because of the prominent ear rash, the condition is also known as herpes zoster oticus. However, some doctors diagnose herpes zostic oticus just for the ear rash, while others diagnose Ramsay Hunt syndrome for both the ear rash and facial paralysis.

Nerve palsy can cause facial muscles to become weak or rigid, making it difficult for people to smile, wrinkle their foreheads, or close their eyes on the affected side. Speech may become slurred in some circumstances. A reddish (erythematous), itchy, blistering (vesicular) rash affects the outside region of the ear (pinna) and often the external ear canal in most cases of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The rash may also affect the tongue, soft palate, and top section of the throat in some cases, causing painful blisters, as per medical journals. 

Hearing loss is normally temporary (transient), although it might become permanent in exceptional circumstances. Males and females are equally affected by Ramsay Hunt syndrome. According to reports, 5 out of every 100,000 people in the United States acquire Ramsay Hunt syndrome each year. Atraumatic peripheral facial paralysis is caused by this condition in the second most common way. According to medical experts, occurrences of Ramsay Hunt syndrome go untreated or are misdiagnosed, making it difficult to estimate the disorder's true prevalence in the general population. Ramsay Hunt syndrome can develop in anyone who has had chickenpox. The majority of instances, however, involve older persons, particularly those over the age of 60. Children with Ramsay Hunt syndrome are extremely rare.

In the video, one of Justin Bieber’s eyes was not blinking when he said, “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.”

Saying that he is uncertain how long he will be taking to heal, Justin however, appeared optimistic about his health hoping to make a full recovery through enough rest and therapy. He also said that he has been keeping himself busy with facial exercises. He said that he would be using this time only to rest and relax in order to get back to a hundred per cent recovery so that he got to perform again and do what he was ‘born to do.’

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The video got 14 million views in a few hours as countless prayers and wishes kept pouring in the comments section for him to recover and get better. His contemporary, Shawn Mendes also said, “Love you so much. I admire you so much.” Popular singer Justin Timberlake also expressed his warm regards saying, “Love you, bro. Prayers up and sending lots of healing vibes!”

Becoming famous in the Hollywood music industry as a 13-year-old, Justin Bieber’s mother used to upload his singing videos on YouTube. Later, the singer became a global representative of popular music with songs like Baby and Believe. Bagging two Grammy awards and 22 nominations, Justin Bieber is widely recognised for his genre-melding music. 

Feature Image Credit: People.