Justin Bieber announced via an Instagram video that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a type of facial paralysis caused by the varicella-zoster virus, after canceling concerts in Toronto earlier this week.

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The singer explained that Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a rare illness that occurs when a shingles outbreak damages face nerves near one of your ears. The sickness is caused by the same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox.

In the video, Bieber shared he was unable to move one side of his face. He stated, “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face… So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face,” Bieber continued, pointing to the right side of the face. He pleaded for patience from his fans and that he is “physically, obviously, not capable of doing” his next gigs.

The Canadian-born artist added “This is pretty serious, as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but, obviously, my body’s telling me I’ve got to slow down. “I hope you guys understand. I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to a hundred percent so that I can do what I was born to do.”

Bieber went on to say that he’s been doing facial exercises to “get back to normal,” but he doesn’t know how long it will take. After a few hours, Bieber added on Instagram, “Been getting progressively difficult to eat, which has been extremely annoying, please pray for me.”

Bieber’s diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is unknown at this time. The announcement comes after the artist recently postponed dates on his Justice World Tour in 2022 due to an undisclosed sickness.

Bieber’s North American tour was set to end on July 3 in Los Angeles, with a few gigs in Europe and South Africa before heading to Australia and New Zealand later in the year. All of those events are likely to be put on hold or rescheduled.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear, according to the Mayo Clinic in the United States. Symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome in most people are temporary, although they can become chronic. Although most infections cure up within a few weeks, some people may experience nerve pain that lasts longer. Surgery to relieve strain on the facial nerve is only required in rare circumstances.

Wishing Justin Bieber a speedy recovery and continued success on his Justice tour!

Published by HOLR Magazine