Ramsay Hunt Syndrome: What Is It? – WebMD
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is a condition that can bring on weakness or paralysis in your face and a rash that affects your ear. Your doctor might also call it herpes zoster oticus.
Anyone who’s had chickenpox can get RHS. But Ramsay Hunt syndrome is rare. About 5 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. get it each year.
Fast treatment is key. The sooner your doctor gets you medicine for RHS, the better your chances are for a good recovery.
What …….
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is a condition that can bring on weakness or paralysis in your face and a rash that affects your ear. Your doctor might also call it herpes zoster oticus.
Anyone who’s had chickenpox can get RHS. But Ramsay Hunt syndrome is rare. About 5 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. get it each year.
Fast treatment is key. The sooner your doctor gets you medicine for RHS, the better your chances are for a good recovery.
What Causes RHS?
The varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, brings on Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
After you recover from chickenpox as a child, the virus turns “off,” or becomes inactive. But it stays in your body, and it could become active again years and years later. Experts aren’t sure why.
If the virus flares up, it can attack the nerves that affect movement and feeling in your face. It can also set off shingles in adults.
What Are the Risk Factors?
Your chances of getting RHS go up if you’ve had chickenpox.
You’re more likely to get RHS when you’re older, especially over 60. It’s extremely rare for a child to get the condition.
What Are the Symptoms of RHS?
RHS usually causes a painful rash of blisters filled with fluid in or around one ear. In some cases, the blisters also can show up in your mouth and throat.
Regular shingles also cause a blistery rash, but the bumps usually break out on a smallish strip of your torso instead of on your face.
RHS also usually causes some weakness in the muscles in your face. You may find it hard to smile or completely close one eye. You might not be able to move the muscles on one side of your face at all. Some people’s speech becomes slurred, too.
These symptoms usually affect one side of your face. The rash and facial paralysis might not show up at the same time.
Some other symptoms are:
- Ear pain, which can start before you see a rash
- Hearing loss
- Ringing in the ear
- Vertigo, which can make it feel like you — or the room around you — is spinning
- Nausea and vomiting
Is It Contagious?
You can’t get RHS from someone who has …….
Source: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/herpes-zoster-oticus
