Justin Bieber reveals a rare medical diagnosis
Justin Bieber has revealed the reason behind his show cancellations this week – the singer has a rare neurological condition that has paralyzed half of his face.
The Canadian pop star has said he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after a virus damaged the nerves in his ear. He added that he was suffering from a “pretty serious” case in a video posted on instagram.
Demonstrating the effects of paralysis during the three-minute video, Bieber tries to smile, blink and dilate his nostrils, half of his face unresponsive.
“As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril is not moving, so there is complete paralysis on this side of my face,” he said. “So for those who are frustrated with my cancellations of upcoming shows, I’m just physically, obviously not able to do them.”
Bieber said he was resting and doing facial exercises to “get back to normal.”
“I wish it wasn’t, but obviously my body is telling me I need to slow down,” he said. “I hope you understand, and I will use this time to rest and relax and get back to 100 per cent so I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, that’s not it.
Hours after the initial video, Bieber posted an Instagram Story in which he wrote, “It became increasingly difficult for me to eat which was extremely frustrating, please pray for me.”
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Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a rare but serious disease caused by the same virus that causes shingles and chickenpox.
The syndrome is similar to but worse than Bell’s palsy, another condition that causes facial paralysis.
It is treated with antiviral drugs and corticosteroids. Patients usually recover completely, although facial paralysis and hearing loss may be permanent for some.
“We don’t know how long it will take, but it will,” Bieber said. “I have hope and I trust God and I hope it’s all for a reason. I don’t know what it is right now, but in the meantime I’m going to rest and I’ll tell you love guys.
Bieber is still scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 13. The North American leg of the Justice World Tour ends in July and will hit Australia in November this year.
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