Body telling me to slow down: Justin Bieber says he has facial 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," Justin Bieber explained in a video.
Pop singer Justin Bieber on Friday told fans in a video posted to Instagram that he's been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis.
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a complication of shingles that occurs when an outbreak impacts the facial nerve near one ear. In addition to facial paralysis, it can cause hearing loss.
The 28-year-old pop singer recently announced he was pausing his Justice World Tour due to illness, hours before his first slated concert in Toronto.
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"As you can see, this eye is not blinking, I can't smile on this side of my face, this nostril will not move," Bieber explained in a video.
"So, there's full paralysis on this side of my 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."
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, Staying in a person's body even after chickenpox goes away, the virus may "reactivate" years later and cause the syndrome. In addition to paralysis, it can also cause a rash and hearing loss in the affected ear.
Anyone who has had chickenpox can get the syndrome, but it is much more common in individuals older than 60.
The singer said he was doing facial exercises and taking time to "rest and relax and get back to 100 percent so I can do what I was born to do."
He did not give an estimated timeline for his recovery.
It's the third instance Bieber's tour has been postponed, the first two due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
