It was shocking to Beliebers worldwide when Justin Bieber took to his Instagram to explain why he had to cancel his upcoming concert tours. As he spoke into the camera, it was obvious for everyone to see that one side of his face was not twitching or moving naturally like the other side. According to Bieber, he has Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which is a virus that attacks the nerve in (one of) his ear and facial nerves which has caused facial paralysis on one side of his face.
Hey everyone, Justin here. I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on. 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 and has caused my face to have paralysis.
So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I’m just physically, obviously not capable of doing them. It’s pretty serious, as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case but obviously my body’s telling me I gotta slow down. I hope you guys understand. I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100% so I can do what I was born to do.
I love you guys, thanks for being patient with me.
Justin Bieber on his health issue and why he had to cancel his upcoming concert shows
Bieber’s Justice Tour 2022 kicked off on February 18th at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego but was forced to reschedule his next show in Las Vegas because he tested positive for Covid-19 along with a few other crew members. Then in March, Bieber and his wife, Hailey, had a little scare when she experienced a “stroke-like” condition due to a blood clot that travelled from her heart to her brain. Today’s most recent announcement from Bieber is another bad hit to fans all over the world. Many celebrity friends and fans flooded Bieber’s social media with well wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Bieber is expected to be performing in Malaysia on October 22nd. Although the status of his concert in Malaysia is unanswered for now, many fans are glad that he is taking this time off to focus on his health and recover fully. We hope Bieber would be well very soon and be able to meet his fans all around the world after the long hiatus from live shows due to Covid-19.
What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS) is a rare neurological disorder where the patient would have paralysis of the facial nerve (facial palsy) and a rash that affects the ear or mouth. Sometimes, patients may also experience ringing in the ear (tinnitus) or hearing loss.
RHS is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) which is the same virus that causes chickenpox in children or shingles (herpes zoster) in adults. Inactive or dormant varicella-zoster virus may be reactivated in adulthood and affect the facial nerve. Patients that have the RHS may result in the inability to smile, wrinkle their forehead or close their eyes on the affected side. Sometimes, some patients might experience slurring in speech.
Read more on RHS at NORD’s Rare Disease Database.
What’s the difference between Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and Bell’s Palsy?
Both Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS) and Bell’s Palsy are related to facial palsy. However, RHS is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) whereas Bell’s Palsy is a neurological condition where the seventh facial nerve is not working properly and causes paralysis on one side of the face. Compared to Bell’s palsy (facial paralysis without rash), RHS has a more severe onset and is less likely to recover completely. RHS patients will be treated with prednisone and acyclovir to improve their outcomes. For both patients with RHS and Bell’s palsy, they would be administered with a 7–10 day course of famciclovir (500 mg, three times daily) or acyclovir (800 mg, five times daily), as well as oral prednisone (60 mg daily for 3–5 days).
Hopefully, with proper drug treatment, facial exercises and enough rest, patients with either of these health issues will recover and be able to live life fully again.
Aliza M. is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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