Justin Bieber says half of his face is paralyzed, cancels shows

Bieber tried to smile, blink, and move his face during his video in front of fans, but it was clear that one side of his face remained still as he continued to speak.

“So for those of you who are frustrated with my cancellation of the following shows, I’m just physically, obviously unable to do it,” he said. “This is very dangerous as you can see.”

Bieber said he’s been doing facial exercises to try to regain movement, but it will take time to recover.

“I hope it isn’t,” he said, “but my body is clearly telling me I have to slow down.” “Hope you guys understand, I’m taking this time to rest, relax and get back to 100% so I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, that’s not all.”

The virus that causes Ramsay Hunt syndrome is called varicella-zoster virus, which is in the herpes virus family. It’s the same pathogen behind chickenpox in children and shingles in adults, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

It is unclear how Bieber contracted the virus, but it is possible that he contracted the germ several years ago during a bout with chickenpox. The The virus, which is not contagious, can lie dormant in your body for years before reactivating It spreads to the facial nerve near your ear, developing into herpes zoster or in some cases, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, for unknown reasons.

As in Bieber’s case, people with rheumatoid arthritis typically have some degree of paralysis or weakness on one side of the face and a rash on the outside of the ear, although both symptoms are not guaranteed.

Other symptoms that may accompany RHS are tinnitus, temporary hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, dry eyes, ear pain, and loss of taste.

The syndrome appears in about 5 in 100,000 people in the United States each year, the National Organization for Rare Disorders says, although its prevalence may be underestimated because cases are often misdiagnosed.

Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop RHS at some point, most likely during adulthood. Most cases occur among the elderly; Children are rarely affected.

Antiviral medications such as acyclovir or famciclovir — both used to treat herpes virus infections — along with corticosteroids can treat RHS. However, some symptoms can become permanent, such as facial paralysis and hearing loss. Eye drops can help protect the cornea from drying out if people cannot blink, as is the case with Bieber. In his letter, he said it was not clear how long it would take before he improved.

“It’s going to be fine,” Bieber said. “I hope, and I trust in God and trust that all this will happen, all for a reason.”