Symptoms and signs
According to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, symptoms include a painful rash inside and outside the ear canal, which can also affect the tongue and roof of the mouth. People with the illness may have vertigo (the impression of dizziness or things spinning around you) or tinnitus (a ringing in the ear) as a result of the inner ear involvement.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome can also result in hearing loss on the affected side of the face. It can also induce weakness, facial drooping, or paralysis on the side of the face that has been infected by the virus, similar to Bieber.
That weakness can cause difficulty with closing one eye, making facial expressions and eating, as food can fall out of the side of the weakened mouth.
Meanwhile, rash and painful blisters may also affect the mouth, soft palate, and top portion of the throat.
People who suffer from Ramsay Hunt syndrome may also experience:
- otalgia or ear pain
- temporary hearing loss
- tinnitus or ringing in the ears
- difficulty closing one eye
- vertigo or a sensation of spinning or moving
- changes in taste perception or loss of taste
- dry mouth and eyes
- In some cases, ear pain can be intense and can potentially spread to affect the neck. Hearing loss can also become permanent in rare cases.
