What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome? All You Need to Know About the Condition With Which Justin Bieber Has Been Diagnosed

Justin Bieber took to his Instagram to share with his fans that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a rare condition that has paralyzed half his face.

The pop star shared a video on Instagram announcing that he will not be going ahead with his Justice World Tour schedule due to illness. Justin Bieber Reveals His Face Is Half-Paralyzed from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (Watch Video)

Explaining his reasons behind cancelling the shows the, the singer said “For those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I'm just physically, obviously, not capable of doing them," he 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.

"I hope you guys understand. I'll just be using this time to rest and relax and get back to 100% so that I can do what I was born to do."

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox in children and herpes zoster. What is Monkeypox? Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention of the Viral Illness

"The virus that can remain dormant in a person who has had chickenpox as a child. "The reason why the virus reactivates and affects the facial nerve in Ramsay Hunt syndrome is unknown,” US based National Organization for Rare Disorders said.

Signs and symptoms of the disease include drooping, paralysis and weakness on one side of the face, which leads to difficulty in eating, emoting and closing the eye.

The disorder also leads to rashes on the ear, tongue or roof of the mouth, pain in the ear and vertigo.

Rarely, symptoms of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome include dry eyes and mouth and loss of taste.

The syndrome is officially known as herpes zoster oticus; its more common name comes from the neurologist James Ramsay Hunt, who first described the illness.

To diagnose Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, health professionals conduct blood tests for varicella-zoster virus, MRI of the head and some skin tests. Rarely, they may also do a spinal tap -- pricking the spinal canal with a needle to collect cerebrospinal fluid for tests.

For treatment, patients are prescribed anti-inflammatory and antiviral medicines. They are advised to wear eye patches to ensure there is no corneal injury.

Justin Bieber in his Instagram video said that he was practicing facial exercises as part of his healing. “I gotta go get my rest on,” he said, “so I can get my face back to where it’s supposed to be.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2022 10:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).