Justin Bieber informed fans on Friday of a recent diagnosis that is impacting his health -- causing paralysis on one side of his face.
The 28-year-old singer said he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome during a video uploaded to Instagram around 3 p.m. EDT.
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The video caption read: “IMPORTANT PLEASE WATCH. I love you guys and keep me in your prayers”
During the video, his paralysis was visible -- one side of his face is not moving while he is speaking.
“Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome,” Bieber told his fans. “And it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis.”
“It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” he said in the video. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face; this nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”
According to UT Health’s McGovern Medical School, Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is “a rare yet severe condition that causes facial weakness or paralysis and a rash on the outer ear.”
UT’s website states that the same virus that causes RHS causes chickenpox and shingles, the varicella-zoster virus. Doctors say the virus can spread and affect the facial nerve, which controls the movement of each side of the face. It can also cause the ear to break out in a serious, painful rash.
Due to the condition, Bieber has had to cancel several of his recent shows.
“I have hope. I trust God, and I trust that this is all for a reason,” Bieber added.