On June 20, Justin Bieber posted an Instagram video announcing that his face is partially paralyzed due to a condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus that also causes chickenpox and may lead to shingles. According to Bieber, “the nerve in my ear, facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis. You can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move.” Bieber has canceled upcoming tour dates for this reason.
“After a full recovery from chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus often lies dormant in the nervous system for years,” Dr. David Culpepper, who practices general internal medicine, tells Her Campus. “Eventually, the virus may reemerge, causing an illness known as shingles. Shingles can cause itching or painful rashes and other symptoms similar to chicken pox, as well as nerve pain when the virus attacks one or more nerves. When the virus attacks a facial nerve near the right or left ear, this causes Ramsay Hunt syndrome.”
Kris Ceniza, a physiotherapist, tells Her Campus that signs of Ramsay Hunt syndrome include “rashes, tinnitus or a ringing in your ears, nausea, nystagmus or the involuntary shaking of your eyes, vomiting, vertigo, and possible hearing loss.” Ceniza adds, “It’s important to note that not all people who develop Ramsay Hunt Syndrome experience rashes, making it even harder to distinguish from Bell’s Palsy. In this case, your doctor may do some fluid testing to verify the diagnosis.” Additional symptoms include facial muscle weakness, mild tingling or numbness, difficulty hearing in one ear, feeling plugged up, painful eye movements, and muscle spasms, according to Dr. Naheed Ali.
After Bieber’s announcement, people online began to speculate about his condition and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, including that his condition was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. (Note: This is a false speculation.) With the ability for misinformation to spread rapidly and cause confusion and panic, it’s important to keep the facts about Bieber’s condition straight. Here are five misconceptions regarding Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
- “Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the covid-19 vaccine.”
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Following Bieber’s announcement, Steve Kirsch, a millionaire entrepreneur and prominent spreader of medical misinformation, posted a newsletter titled “Why I’m 99% certain that Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis was caused by the COVID vaccine” and subtitled it “Was it vaccine related? That’s what the math says. Here’s my calculation.” However, Kirsch’s “math” relies upon a misinterpretation of the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting system (VAERS) database and the misunderstanding that everything reported to the database is caused by the vaccine.
Furthermore, the Vancouver Times, a fake news site regarded as an unreliable source, posted an article asserting that Bieber links his Ramsay Hunt syndrome to the COVID-19 vaccine and stated that the “vaccine ruined my life.” However, the article is mainly composed of Tweets.
A Reuters Fact Check, with input from medical experts, concluded that there is no established definitive link between Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and the COVID-19 vaccine.
- “Ramsay Hunt syndrome only affects older patients.”
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A common misconception of Ramsay Hunt syndrome is that it only affects older patients. However, Bieber is 28, and other younger adults can become infected too. Dr. Culpepper adds that children can be infected as well in rare cases. According to an estimate by the National Organization for Rare Disorders, five out of every 100,000 people develop Ramsay Hunt syndrome annually in the United States, and it affects females and males equally. While a majority of patients are older than 60, anyone who’s had chickenpox may develop Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
- “Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is contagious.”
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While Ramsay Hunt syndrome is not contagious on its own, exposing someone to the varicella-zoster virus if they haven’t previously been infected may result in chickenpox or shingles. The herpes zoster virus that may be found in the blisters of Ramsay Hunt syndrome can be transmitted to others and result in chickenpox in those unvaccinated against the virus or who have never been infected. Since shingles causes Ramsay Hunt syndrome, they both have the same causes and risk factors. Individuals infected with Ramsay Hunt syndrome should avoid contact with those who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or who have not been infected with chickenpox, at least until the blisters turn into scabs.
- “It’s the same as Bell’s Palsy.”
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According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bell’s palsy is an unexplainable period of facial muscle weakness or paralysis that suddenly begins and worsens over the course of 48 hours. The condition stems from damage to the facial nerve, the seventh cranial nerve, and pain and discomfort commonly occur on one side of the face or head.
Similarly to Bell’s palsy, facial paralysis onset is rapid with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, but it is usually indicated by the onset of painful blisters on the outer ear or the ear canal back wall. Pain with Ramsay Hunt syndrome is similar to shingles, may appear up to a week before paralysis, and rarely happens without blisters. According to the Tampa Bay Hearing and Balance Center, if gone untreated, the prognosis for Ramsay Hunt syndrome is much worse compared to Bell’s palsy with over 50% suffering from permanent residual weakness and even permanent complete paralysis on one side of the face.
- “The herpes zoster zirus is harmful.”
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Dr. Rosmy Barrios, who specializes in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, tells Her Campus, “The [herpes zoster] virus that can cause [Ramsay Hunt] syndrome is harmless unless it reactivates. If that happens, new symptoms appear.” Herpes zoster, or shingles, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes varicella, or chickenpox. In other words, a primary infection with VZV causes varicella. Treatment includes anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone or antiviral medicine like acyclovir or valacyclovir.