What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?

Everything you need to know about Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster) occurs when there is an outbreak of shingles and affects the facial nerve that supplies one of your ears. In addition to the painful shingles rash, facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear can occur.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus still lives in your nerves. Years later, it might work again. When it does, it can affect your facial nerve.

Prompt treatment can reduce the risk of complications. Complications can be facial weakness and permanent deafness.

This syndrome can cause paralysis of one side of the face and hearing loss.

Causes of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome occurs in people who have had chickenpox. Once you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays in your body – sometimes reactivating years later and causing shingles, a painful rash with clear, fluid-filled blisters.

The syndrome is an outbreak of shingles that affects the facial nerve near one of your ears. It can also cause paralysis of one side of the face and hearing loss.

Symptom

The two main signs and symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome are:

• Erythema with blisters causes pain around and in your ear.
• Weakness or numbness of the side of the face on the same side as the affected ear

Often, the rash and facial paralysis occur at the same time. Sometimes one symptom precedes the other. In other cases, the patient had only facial paralysis without a rash.

If you have Ramsay Hunt syndrome, you may also have the following symptoms:

• Ear hurt
• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus
• Difficulty closing eyes
• Feeling of spinning or swaying (vertigo)
• Change in taste or loss of taste
• Dry mouth and dry eyes

When should you see a doctor?

Call your doctor if you have paralysis on one side of your face or a shingles rash on your face. Treatment started within three days of signs and symptoms can help prevent long-term complications.

Risk factors for Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome can occur in anyone who has had chickenpox. The disease is more common in the elderly, especially those over 60 years of age. This syndrome is very rare in children.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a non-communicable disease. However, reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus can cause chickenpox in people who are exposed to vesicles, blisters, or have not been vaccinated against the disease. Infections can be serious for people with immune system problems.

Until blisters crust over, avoid contact with:

• People who have never had chickenpox or have never had the chickenpox vaccine.
• People with weakened immune systems.
• Infant.
• Pregnant women.

Symptoms

Complications may include:

• Permanent hearing loss and facial muscle weakness. For most people, the hearing loss and facial paralysis caused by Ramsay Hunt syndrome are usually temporary. However, it can turn permanent.
• Eye damage. The resulting facial weakness/paralysis may make it difficult for you to keep your eyes closed. When this happens, the cornea, the structure that protects your eye, can be damaged. This damage can cause pain and blurred vision.
• Nerve pain. This pain occurs when a shingles infection damages nerve fibers. The signals sent by these nerve fibers are confused and amplified. This in turn causes pain that can linger long after other signs and symptoms have subsided.

Diagnose

Doctors can usually identify Ramsay Hunt syndrome based on history, physical examination, and distinctive signs and symptoms of the disease. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may take a sample of fluid from one of the rash blisters in your ear for testing.

Treatment

Prompt treatment of Ramsay Hunt syndrome can reduce pain and reduce the risk of long-term complications. Medicines may include:

• Antiviral drugs. Medicines such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), or valacyclovir (Valtrex) usually help fight the chickenpox virus.
• Corticosteroids. A short course of treatment with high-dose prednisone enhances the antiretroviral effect of Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
• Anti-anxiety medication. Medicines such as diazepam (Valium) can help relieve dizziness.
• Analgesic. The pain involved can be severe. Therefore, the doctor may need to prescribe pain medication to the patient.

Lifestyle and home remedies

The following may help ease the discomfort of Ramsay Hunt syndrome:

• Keep the areas affected by the rash clean.
• Apply cool, wet compresses to the rash to relieve pain.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever or anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).
• If facial weakness/paralysis makes it difficult to close your eyes, take the following steps to protect your vision:
• Use moisturizing eye drops throughout the day if your eyes are dry.
• At night, apply the ointment on your eyes and glue your eyelids or wear an eye patch.

Prevent

Children are now routinely vaccinated against chickenpox, which greatly reduces their chance of getting the chickenpox virus. A shingles vaccine for people 50 years of age and older is also recommended.

Symptoms of the disease can be insidious and mild, such as a dull pain in the ear with a few blisters. But it can also be as dramatic as facial paralysis and tinnitus, hearing loss. So don't be subjective, but see your doctor when you have symptoms that suggest Ramsay Hunt syndrome.