Bells Palsy Causes, Treatment and Symptoms
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The Causes, Treatment and Symptoms of Bells Palsy
Bells Palsy Causes Treatment and Symptoms....
Bells Palsy is a disorder that weakens the nerves that control movements of the face. Signs of this disorder include drooping of an eyebrow and corner of the mouth and smoothing out of the forehead. Symptoms can also include difficulty eating or drinking, drooling, difficulty making facial expressions and closing one eye, and involuntary twitches in facial muscles. Bells Palsy can be detected with a complete physical exam.
This summer I was recently struck with Bells Palsy. I first began losing my sense of taste on the left side of my face and then one morning I awoke with no facial movements at all on the left side. I had a huge headache, my left eye were watery and I couldn't close it and I couldn't taste anything on the left side. This lens will explain the cause, treatment and symptoms to look for with Bells Palsy.
(image credit: National Institute of Health)
Bells Palsy is a disorder that weakens the nerves that control movements of the face. Signs of this disorder include drooping of an eyebrow and corner of the mouth and smoothing out of the forehead. Symptoms can also include difficulty eating or drinking, drooling, difficulty making facial expressions and closing one eye, and involuntary twitches in facial muscles. Bells Palsy can be detected with a complete physical exam.
This summer I was recently struck with Bells Palsy. I first began losing my sense of taste on the left side of my face and then one morning I awoke with no facial movements at all on the left side. I had a huge headache, my left eye were watery and I couldn't close it and I couldn't taste anything on the left side. This lens will explain the cause, treatment and symptoms to look for with Bells Palsy.
(image credit: National Institute of Health)
Contents at a Glance
What Causes Bells Palsy?
Bells Palsy strikes between 30,000 and 40,000 people a year. The seventh cranial, or facial, nerve is damaged, often by swelling or inflammation of the nerve where it enters the skull. But in my case, it was believed that high blood pressure was the contributing factor of my Bells Palsy. The exact cause isn't always clear. However, here are a few conditions that may contribute to it:
- Herpes Zoster
- HIV Infection
- Lyme Disease
- Middle Ear Infection
- Sarcoidosis
Check Your Blood Pressure
What Are The Symptoms of Bells Palsy?
The symptoms of Bells Palsy can differ from person to person. But symptoms can be twitching, weakness and/or facial paralysis on both sides. Other symptoms can include....
* Drooping of the eyelid and corner of the mouth
* Drooling
* Dryness of the eye and mouth
* Loss of taste
* Excessive tearing of the eye
* Drooping of the eyelid and corner of the mouth
* Drooling
* Dryness of the eye and mouth
* Loss of taste
* Excessive tearing of the eye
How Is Bells Palsy Diagnosed?
You should see your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms because the signs of Bells palsy can also be signs of more serious problems. Bells palsy can often be diagnosed with a complete physical. Your doctor may want to run a CT or MRI scan to check for brain tumors, or test your nerve function with an electromyography or nerve conduction test. In my case I received an MRI, to make sure I wasn't having a stroke. It was then determined by my doctor that it was indeed Bells Palsy. Other Health Lenses That May Interest You.....
Can Bells Palsy Be Treated?
With many mild cases of Bells Palsy, the condition will start to improve without treatment. If you have trouble closing one eye, the doctor may prescribe eyedrops to keep your eye moistened. He may also prescribe corticosteroids to reduce the swelling around the nerve and other medications to treat the viruses that may be causing it. A less common and more controversial option is surgery to reduce the pressure on the nerve, though it has not been shown to be helpful in all cases. In most cases, facial functions are restored within weeks or months. People who have had Bells palsy may notice changes in taste or weakness and spasms of muscles or eyelids.Once I was prescribed High Blood Pressure medication, within days I began getting feeling back into my face. And in less than a month later I had full facial movements.
Learn More About Bells Palsy
Do you know someone with Bells Palsy?
Or have you had it?
Yes
elly says:
yes my older sister have this Bell's Palsy
darciefrench says:
Yes, as a child, a mother of a friend had Bells Palsy
No
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Bells Palsy In The News
- Treatment for Bell's Palsy
- A new study shows that anti-viral treatments for Bell's Palsy are not as affective as steroid treatments. Beginning treatment as soon as onset occurs is key to recovery. Unilateral facial numbness and weakness are typical signs of onset.
- Steroids Help Unfreeze Bell's Palsy
- Early treatment with the corticosteroid prednisolone appeared to significantly reduce mild to moderate sequelae in Bell's palsy as judged by two scoring systems, according to results from a large Scandinavian trial. As measured by the Sunnybrook ...
- 'Prednisolone's Considerable Effect On Bells Palsy Symptoms'
- A report in JAMA's May edition of Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery reveals that by treating Bell's Palsy, a form of facial paralysis that is usually temporarily, with prednisolone within 72 hours, seems to considerably reduce the number ...
- Study examines effect of prednisolone in patients with Bell palsy
- CHICAGO ? Treatment for Bell palsy (a condition involving the facial nerve and characterized by facial paralysis) with the corticosteroid prednisolone within 72 hours appeared to significantly reduce the number of patients with mild to moderate palsy ...
Your Feedback Is Appreciated.....
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COUNTRYLUTHIER
Feb 19, 2012 @ 3:12 pm | delete
- What an informative lens. I know people with it but never in a million years would have asked its cause. Thanks for sharing the causes of this previous mystery ailment to me.
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Im a stay at home mother of 3. I have a passion for cooking (and eating!). I just started an offline business in my hometown of Fresno, CA. I help loc... more »
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