What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and how has it affected Justin Bieber?

Justin Bieber has canceled the remaining dates of his 2023 ‘Justice World Tour’ after ups and downs with his health since 2020.

While no official reason was given for the cancellation, one reason could pertain to his 2022 health diagnosis.

Bieber has been forthcoming with his fans about his struggle with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome type II, a facial paralysis condition that has left the 29-year-old singer unable to perform as usual.

Bieber’s Ramsay Hunt diagnosis

Sharing with the world his diagnosis through an Instagram reel in June 2022, Bieber revealed his partially paralyzed face. In the video, Bieber described his first-hand experience with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome II. The Canadian-born singer described how the virus attacks the nerves and how the whole experience has increased his faith.

“It is this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and the facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” Bieber explained. “It’s going to be okay. And I have hope. And I trust God. And I trust that it’s all for a reason. I’m not sure what that is, but in the meantime, I’m gonna rest.

“Important, please watch,” Bieber wrote in all caps in the caption. “I love you guys and keep me in your prayers.”

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome symptoms

Adding to the facial paralysis, other symptoms of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome are hearing loss, ringing in the ears, vertigo, and dryness of the mouth and eyes. The condition is in the shingles family, and is linked to childhood chickenpox, which disrupts the person’s nervous, immune, and auditory systems.

When the immune system becomes depressed, it is less able to fight off infection, leaving it vulnerable for the disease to manifest.

According to Facial Palsy UK founder Charles Nduka, Ramsay Hunt syndrome “is a condition that is due to viral reactivation” that is often triggered by immense stress.

“One of the things that is quite clear, certainly from talking to lots and lots of patients over the years, is that usually before it comes on, there’s some sort of intercurrent illness or stress, the immune system is a bit depressed,” Nduka said.

The first sign of RHS is often a small rash, loss of facial expression, and weakness on one side of the face.

“It’s not always obvious, but you could have a really tiny patch of a rash inside your ear,” Nduka explained. “It could be inside your mouth, or your tongue, in your throat, it could be anywhere or even not visible at all.”

As symptoms worsen, the patient may suffer from problems with their balance, earache, and chronic body pain.

Facial Palsy UK posted to Twitter to clear up confusion about exactly what is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, as well as to encourage Justine Bieber.

“Ramsay Hunt syndrome is NOT the same as Bell’s palsy,” the founder wrote in the caption. " It may look similar but it is different and is accompanied by other debilitating symptoms. See our mnemonic for more information. We hope @justinbieber feels much better soon.”

The post-show exhaustion

The announcement, posted to the Justice Tour Updates Twitter account,  comes after Bieber’s 2022 abandoned tour, when the ‘Sorry’ singer left the stage at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil.

“After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me,” Bieber described in a tweet following the concert. “And I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now.”

“So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better.”