Singer Justin Bieber has been suffering from facial paralysis which has led him to cancel shows this week.
The 28-year-old singer in an Instagram video revealed that the condition is due to a diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “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,” he said.
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Earlier this week, Bieber’s Justice World Tour – which began in February – announced three shows would be postponed. “It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” the Canada-born singer said in the three-minute video, indicating the right side of his face.
He had been due to play in Washington DC and Toronto earlier this week, with concerts also planned in New York and Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone’s ears, say medical experts.
The Mayo Clinic says that for most people, the symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome are temporary, but can become permanent.
The inability of patients to close one eyelid can also cause eye pain and blurred vision, the organisation says, adding that it is most common in people over 60 years old.
