'I had an itchy ear, and days later half my face was paralysed'

A mum who had an itch on her ear found a lump, and days later was left paralysed down one side of her face. Mum-of-two Paige Weston, 29, was initially told she had an ear infection, before doctors uncovered the real cause – Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. The condition is triggered by the Varicella-zoster virus, which can lie dormant for years before suddenly flaring up. It can attack facial nerves, causing paralysis, painful rashes around the ear and even hearing loss. Paige, from Liverpool, said: “It’s my face, I can’t hide it. I can’t run from it, so I’ve got to sort of deal with it. I’m trying to stay positive.” Paige said she “didn’t think much” of the lump when she first noticed it in early April. She said: “Within a few days, my ear became incredibly itchy, sore, swollen, and painful, and nothing seemed to help. “I first went to my GP and was told it was an ear infection, so I was given antibiotics but nothing improved. It actually got worse and I started having intense headaches that would last for days. I went back again, had swabs taken and more medication prescribed, but there was still no improvement.” Days later, she noticed her face changing. She said: “When the facial paralysis started, everything escalated. I went back to my GP and was sent straight to A&E. That’s when I was finally told it wasn’t a bacterial infection, it was shingles in my ear, and the facial paralysis was linked to the infection.” Paige said it was “really frustrating” being given different diagnoses before finally getting answers. It wasn’t until she saw a specialist that she was diagnosed with Grade 3 Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Early treatment is crucial but Paige was not given antivirals and steroids until nearly three weeks after her symptoms began. Recalling the moment she got the diagnosis, she said: “I felt overwhelmed, confused, and honestly quite scared. The hardest part for me was how it affected my face. “I became really self-conscious. I found myself covering my mouth when I smiled or laughed because I didn’t feel like myself and didn’t want people to notice my face.” She was warned recovery could take up to a year – if it happens at all. But Paige says she is already seeing signs of improvement. She said: “It’s definitely been a challenge. The shingles have mostly healed, but I still deal with sharp pain, itching, and a burning sensation in my ear. The facial weakness has been the biggest adjustment, it’s something you don’t really think about until it happens to you. “I’m starting to see small improvements, which gives me hope that I will recover. I know recovery can take time, but I’m staying positive and taking each day as it comes. I’m not going to let this stop me from living my life.” Now she is urging others not to ignore early symptoms. She added: “Getting treatment early, especially within the first 72 hours, can make a huge difference to recovery. And if it affects your face, know that you’re not alone, it can be really tough emotionally, but people often don’t notice it as much as you think. “Finding support really helped me; I joined a Ramsay Hunt syndrome support group online and hearing other people’s recovery stories made a big difference.”