International pop star Justin Bieber disclosed that a virus has caused "complete paralysis" on one side of his face after cancelling a series of gigs on his recent tour. Regarding his cancelled gigs, he stated, "I'm just physically, obviously not capable of doing them."
The 28-year-old singer took to his social media and shared a video in which he showed his face and explained the reason for canceling the shows. In the video, he said, “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.”
He further added, “As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face… So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.” The ‘Baby’ hitmaker also explained what causes the Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in the video. He then shared that he was doing what he had to do to get back to normal. Along with facial exercises, he is taking time to "rest and relax and get back to 100 per cent so I can do what I was born to do."
The ‘Peaches’ singer captioned the post, "IMPORTANT PLEASE WATCH. I love you guys and keep me in your prayers."
What Is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is an infection of a facial nerve. It is a neurological disorder in which the Varicella zoster virus infects specific nerves in the head. The condition is also known as Herpes zoster oticus.
The Varicella-zoster virus can also cause chicken pox. People who have had chicken pox carry the dormant virus in their nerves. Some years later, it may become active again, infecting the facial nerve, and causing Ramsay Hunt syndrome.