Justin Bieber revealed that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which has caused paralysis on one side of his face.
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“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on,” said Bieber in social media post, revealing why he had to recently postpone the dates of his Justice World Tour on June 7. “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.”
Bieber continued to explain some of the physical effects he’s experiencing from the diagnosis. “As you can see, this eye is not blinking,” he said, pointing to the different areas around his face affected. “I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So full paralysis in this side of my face.”
He added, “So for those who are frustrated by the cancellations of my 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.”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome occurs following a case of shingles, which can affect the facial nerves near the ear, causing a rash as well as hearing loss and paralysis in the face, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ramsay Hunt is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, and starting treatment within a few days of diagnosis can help in the recovery, which typically takes several weeks. The syndrome can be serious for people with immune system problems.
Off tour and working on improving his health, Bieber said he’s resting but also looking forward to getting back on the road again once his condition has improved.
“I’m gonna get better,” he said. “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, and we don’t know how much time it’s gonna be. But it’s gonna be OK, I hope. I trust God. …It’s all for a reason, I’m not sure what that is right now, but in the meantime, I’m gonna rest, and I love you guys. Peace.”
