London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 24, 2026

Ramsay Hunt syndrome: 'It's taken away my independence'

Ramsay Hunt syndrome: 'It's taken away my independence'

Justin Bieber recently revealed he's been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

The singer shared a video of himself on social media, saying the condition's forced him to cancel all his upcoming shows.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone's ears, resulting in paralysis of parts of the face.

Nicoya Rescorla has the same condition as Justin, and says it's "taken away her independence."

"The pain has been horrendous - it's been debilitating," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

The 28-year-old, from Marazion in Cornwall, got Ramsay Hunt in October 2020, and says it started with neck pain before the paralysis kicked in.

Following that, she experienced a range of other symptoms too.

"The vertigo and balance has really knocked me sideways," she adds.


'Isolated physically and mentally'


Ramsay Hunt Syndrome can't be passed from one person to another, but it is a complication from a transmissible disease called shingles.

Shingles is linked to the chickenpox virus that a lot of people can get when they're children.

According to the charity Facial Palsey UK, if the immune system becomes depressed and is less able to fight off infection, the body can become vulnerable to a reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

It says stress is often a trigger as it can weaken the immune system and people who are stressed are more likely to suffer from infections.

Nicoya says it's had an impact on her mental health.

"It's isolated me really physically and mentally because I can't just go out if I want to - I'm having to rely on my husband and my mum."

"Mentally it has knocked me for six, I'm a completely new person to what I was 20 months ago."

As well as paralysis, Nicoya has also experienced vertigo and balance problems


Even though it's been nearly two years since she first developed Ramsay Hunt, Nicoya says she's still in pain every day, despite taking medication.

"My face hasn't - and probably won't now - fully recover."

But she's hoping her balance will get better.


'Justin Bieber speaking out is so powerful'


Justin Bieber described his situation as "pretty serious."


Nicoya says him speaking out about having the condition is really important for other people who also have it.

"It's powerful for people like me and other people who are going through Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

"I mean, I never thought that I would hear Ramsay Hunt syndrome on the TV."

She also thinks raising awareness about it is vital and that there has been a lot of misinformation about the syndrome.

There have been posts on social media linking a diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with the Covid-19 vaccine.

Despite speculation on social media, there is no evidence that suggests the jab is responsible or linked to causing Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
×