Justin Bieber shocked his legion of fans worldwide with his revelation that he is stricken with the "Ramsay Hunt Syndrome."
What Happened: Beiber said the Ramsay Hunt syndrome has caused the right side of his face to become paralyzed, the celebrity Canadian singer revealed in a video posted on his Instagram account.
The virus that causes the syndrome has affected the nerves in his right ears and facial nerves, he said. He also showed that he cannot blink his right eye, move his right nostril or smile with the right side of his mouth.
Bieber had to cancel multiple shows scheduled to be held in Toronto.
"For those who are frustrated by my cancelations of the next shows, I'm just physically, obviously, not capable of doing them," Bieber said. "This is pretty serious, as you can see. I wish this wasn't the case, but obviously my body is telling me that I've got to slow down."
He called for understanding from his fans and promised to get better with the face exercises he is doing to get it back to normal.
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What's Ramsay Hunt Syndrome? Ramsey Hunt Syndrome, named after the physician who first described it in 1907, is a rare neurological disorder that manifests as paralysis of the facial nerve and a rash affecting ear or mouth, according to Rare Diseases.org. Sometimes ear abnormalities such as ringing ears and hearing loss may also occur.
It is caused by the Varicella zoster virus that causes chicken pox in children and shingles in adults. A previously dormant virus is reactivated, and it spreads to affect the facial nerve. Therefore, anyone who has had chickenpox can potentially develop the Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
The syndrome affects five out of every 100,000 people and is therefore characterized as a rare disease. It is often treated with antiviral medicals such as acyclovir or famciclovir, along with corticosteroids such as prednisone.
Photo: Courtesy of Budiey on Flickr
