In a video posted on Instagram, the 28-year-old Canadian pop star appears to be struggling to move the right side of his face, while explaining the extent of his symptoms.
“It’s very serious, as you can see. “I wish it were not so,” he said, explaining why he had to cancel two recent concerts in Toronto.
So what is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
Chickenpox virus, which also causes shingles and chickenpox, usually infects a facial nerve near the inner ear, causing weakness, inflammation and sometimes pain in the surrounding areas.
According to a report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2 has an annual incidence of 3.2 to 4.2 cases per 1,000 people.
Speaking to CTV News Channel on Friday, the doctor of the emergency department Dr. Kashif Pirzada said it was “very unusual” for someone Bieber’s age to be diagnosed with the virus.
“It usually affects people with weakened immune systems and older people,” Pirzada said. “It can be quite a disability, it can cause a change in your voice. It can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, balance problems and hearing problems.”
Justin Bieber announced that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. (Instagram / Justin Bieber)
Effective treatment of the virus is time-sensitive, according to the CMAJ. If treatment is started within three days of diagnosis, paralysis or partial paralysis resolves on its own by 75 percent. If treatment is started four to seven days after diagnosis, or more than eight days, paralysis subsides by 48 and 30 percent, respectively.
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is usually treated with antiviral drugs and complete recovery can occur within a few weeks.
In more severe cases, some people never regain full control of the affected part of their face. However, most people are fully recovered, Pirzada said.
For Bieber, he is confident that his face will return to “normal” state and said that he is currently doing facial exercises and resting.
Former Canadian politician Olivia Chow was also diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in 2013, which left her with limited movement on one side of her face.
