Justin Bieber is experiencing paralysis in his face after being diagnosed with a rare disorder.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by facial paralysis. It is 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.
RHS is 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.
RELATED: Hailey Bieber Shares Gorgeous (and Sexy) New Makeup-Free Selfie
Justin Bieber: half of his face is paralyzed
“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on. Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. 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 28-year-old singer said in a recent Instagram video.
According to New York’s Mount Sinai hospital, Ramsay Hunt syndrome 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, making a reference 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 popstar announced on Wednesday that he was forced to postpone 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.”