By: Claire Ying
On June 11, 2022, 28-year-old music sensation Justin Bieber announced he was diagnosed with a rare condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. This report came after he had postponed 3 shows on his 2022 Justice World Tour as well as all forthcoming shows in the US.
Bieber took to Instagram to communicate the diagnosis to his fans in a video saying, “it is from this that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves, and 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.”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a neurological condition named after Dr. James Ramsay Hunt, who made the first documented diagnosis in 1907. It was discovered that the condition came from a virus, varicella-zoster, related to chickenpox. It usually stays inactive in the body after the patient is healed and produces no symptoms unless met with a weakened immune system or emotional stress, which causes the virus to reactivate.
Reactivation of the virus is known as ‘shingles,’ and it often comes with a rash and blisters that attack one area of the body for three to five weeks. About 5 in every 100,000 victims have this reactivation in the facial nerve and experience blisters and swelling in the face as well as hearing loss or vertigo.
The facial nerve bears nerve fibers that dictate facial movement and transverses through facial channels which are positioned at each side of the brain. Which means that even little inflammation of the thin, dense bones can trigger the facial nerve to be pinched and hindered from normal activity. At this stage, the virus is known as the Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
Receiving treatment as soon as possible is imperative for making a full recovery. ‘Facial Palsy UK,’ a British charity, confirms 70 percent of those who seek treatment within the first three days of feeling symptoms recover fully, a 50 percent full recovery rate for those who seek treatment after. Treatment may include steroids or antiviral medicines to reduce inflammation and pain, as well as a series of facial exercises.
As for Bieber, he is receiving the best care possible and continues to stay optimistic about making a recovery and getting back on tour. “I’m gonna get better. I’m doing all these facial exercises to get my face back to normal – and it will go back to normal,” stated the 28-year-old, who added, “it’s just time, and we don’t know how much time that’s going to be.”
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/11/health/ramsay-hunt-syndrome-explainer-wellness/index.html