Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is not an STD and is the herpes zoster oticus which occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome isn't contagious.
But if you have the condition, it means you have the varicella-zoster virus.
The virus can spread if someone comes in contact with the fluid from blisters that form in the affected person.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is triggered and caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
After chickenpox clears up the virus still is living in your nerves and years later the virus can reactivate and lead to Ramsay Hunt syndrome which affects your facial nerves.
The virus that causes chickenpox, shingles and Ramsay Hunt syndrome is the varicella zoster virus.
If you've had chickenpox as a child or any other age then you're at risk of developing shingles and Ramsay Hunt syndrome later on in life.
Ramsay Hunt or Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a shingles outbreak which affects the facial nerve near one of your ears.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome can also cause one-sided facial paralysis and hearing loss.
If there is not much damage to the nerve, you should get better from Ramsay Hunt syndrome completely within a few weeks.
If damage is more severe, you may not fully recover from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, even after several months.
Overall, your chances of recovery from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome are better if the treatment is started within 3 days after the symptoms begin.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox in children and shingles (herpes zoster) in adults.
In Ramsay Hunt syndrome, previously inactive (dormant) varicella-zoster virus is reactivated and spreads to affect the facial nerve.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome treatment includes various medications.
To treat Ramsay Hunt syndrome your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat the infection or decrease symptoms, such as acyclovir or valacyclovir.
A corticosteroid to reduce inflammation of the nerve, such as prednisone.
Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, can provide protection against both shingles and Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
Shingrix is available for adults age 50 and older, given in two doses 2-6 months apart, and is more than 90 percent effective in preventing shingles.
The symptoms of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome can appear differently from person to person and can mimic another condition called Bell's palsy.
While both Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and Bell's palsy can cause facial paralysis, Bell's palsy doesn't have a tell-tale rash inside the ear.