Justin Bieber suffers facial paralyses
Justin Bieber is experiencing paralysis in his face after being diagnosed with a rare disorder.
“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on. Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have, a, 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,” the pop star, 28, said in an Instagram video posted Friday.
According to New York’s Mount Sinai hospital, Ramsay Hunt syndrome is marked by a painful rash around the ear, on the face or on the mouth. It manifests when the varicella-zoster virus infects a nerve in the head, sometimes causing 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, so there’s full paralysis on this side of my face,” Bieber continued, gesturing to the right side of his face.
“So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, 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’s telling me I gotta slow down.”
The “Peaches” singer announced on Wednesday that he would be postponing a few shows from his ongoing Justice World Tour due to a then-unknown health issue.
With some time off from the tour, which is scheduled to run though March 2023, Bieber told fans on Friday that he plans to “just rest and relax” so that he can “get back to 100 percent.”
“I’m gonna get better and I’m doing all these facial exercise to get my face back to normal and it will go back to normal,” he said. “It’s just time and we don’t know how much time it’s gonna be, but it’s gonna be OK. I have hope and I trust God and I trust that this is all for a reason.”
A friend of Bieber’s exclusively tells Page Six that his loved ones are also anticipating a successful recovery. “Bieber will be OK,” the insider says. “It’s because of an infection, paralysis in the right side. He will recover.”
In the meantime, the performer’s famous pals have flooded his comments section with supportive messages.
“Love you and proud of you,” wrote Bieber’s longtime manager Scooter Braun, while Kehlani added, “love you dude , please take all the time you need!!”
Jhené Aiko left a series of prayer-hands emojis, while Patrick Schwarzenegger commented with multiple red hearts.
“Love u brother ! U will be great ! Rest up brother. We love u !” Bieber’s “I’m the One” collaborator DJ Khaled enthused. “GOD LOVES U ! WE LOVE GOD ! Love forever!”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by facial palsy, or paralysis, often accompanied by a rash affecting the ear or mouth. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, an estimated five out of every 100,000 people in the US will develop RHS annually.
The syndrome, first described in 1907 by Dr. James Ramsay Hunt, is caused by an infection of the varicella-zoster virus — the same one that causes chickenpox and shingles, which means anyone who has suffered either of those illnesses could also come down with RHS.
RHS is considered generally treatable if caught within three days of symptom onset, using antiviral medications such as acyclovir or famciclovir, alongside anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Unfortunately for some, hearing loss and paralysis could become permanent.
Other drugs may be used to manage uncomfortable side effects, such as vertigo suppressants or neuropathic pain reducers.