"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."
Justin Bieber has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and the singer revealed that it has left him with half his face paralyzed. The Grammy winner, 28, shared the health update with his fans after he was forced to postpone three shows of his 2022 Justice World Tour, according to PEOPLE.
"Hey everyone. Justin here. I wanted to update you guys on what's been going on," he said, in a video shared on Instagram. He went to explain that what has caused his face to have paralysis is a syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome which is from a virus that attacked the nerve in his ear and his facial nerves.
"As you can see, this eye is not blinking," he continued before he winks his other eye. "I can't smile with this side of my face, this nostril will not move, so there is full paralysis in this side of my face."
Addressing his fans who were "frustrated" because his upcoming shows are being canceled, he said, "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 is telling me I got to slow down and I hope you guys understand and I'll be using this time to rest and relax and get back to 100% so that I can do what I was born to do."
"But in the meantime," he added as he tried to smile. "This isn't it. I got to get my rest on so that I can get my face back to where it's supposed to be." He then went ahead and thanked his fans for being patient while he recovers.
"I'm gonna get better and I'm doing all these facial exercises to get my face back to normal and it will go back to normal, it's just time," he shared.
He mentioned that he is not sure long all this will be while assuring everyone that it will be ok. "I have hope and I trust God and I trust that this is all gonna, it's all for a reason and I'm not sure what that is right now but in the meantime, I'm gonna rest. I love you guys, peace."
Ramsay Hunt syndrome occurs "when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears. In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear," per Mayo Clinic.
Treating the condition immediately reduces "the risk of complications, which can include permanent facial muscle weakness and deafness," the clinic shared.
Here's hoping he gets better soon.
References:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeorE9OjqX9/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ramsay-hunt-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351783
Cover Image Source: Instagram | Justin Bieber
