The
Terrible World of Bell’s Palsy
Bell's palsy, also known as
acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause, can occur at any age. The exact
cause is unknown. It's believed to be the result of swelling and inflammation
of the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of your face. Or it might be
a reaction that occurs after a viral infection.
For most people, Bell's
palsy is temporary. Symptoms usually start to improve within a few weeks, with
complete recovery in about six months. A small number of people continue to
have some Bell's palsy symptoms for life. Rarely, Bell's palsy can recur.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Bell's
palsy come on suddenly and may include:
Rapid onset of mild weakness
to total paralysis on one side of your face — occurring within hours to days
Your smile is one-sided, and
your eye on that side resists closing
Drooling
Pain around the jaw or in or
behind your ear on the affected side
Increased sensitivity to
sound on the affected side
Headache
A loss of taste
Changes in the amount of
tears and saliva you produce
In rare cases, Bell's palsy
can affect the nerves on both sides of your face.
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical help
if you experience any type of paralysis because you may be having a stroke.
Bell's palsy is not caused by a stroke, but it can cause similar symptoms.
See your doctor if you
experience facial weakness or drooping to find out the underlying cause and
severity of the illness.
Causes
Although the exact reason
Bell's palsy occurs isn't clear, it's often related to having a viral
infection. Viruses that have been linked to Bell's palsy include viruses that
cause:
Cold sores and genital
herpes (herpes simplex)
Chickenpox and shingles
(herpes zoster)
Infectious mononucleosis
(Epstein-Barr)
Cytomegalovirus infections
Respiratory illnesses
(adenovirus)
German measles (rubella)
Mumps (mumps virus)
Flu (influenza B)
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease
(coxsackievirus)
The nerve that controls your
facial muscles passes through a narrow corridor of bone on its way to your
face. In Bell's palsy, that nerve becomes inflamed and swollen — usually
related to a viral infection. Besides facial muscles, the nerve affects tears,
saliva, taste and a small bone in the middle of your ear.
Risk factors
Bell's palsy occurs more
often in people who:
Are pregnant, especially
during the third trimester, or who are in the first week after giving birth
Have an upper respiratory
infection, such as the flu or a cold
Have diabetes
Recurrent attacks of Bell's
palsy are rare. But in some of these cases, there's a family history of
recurrent attacks — suggesting a possible genetic predisposition to Bell's
palsy.
Complications
A mild case of Bell's palsy
normally disappears within a month. Recovery from a more severe case involving
total paralysis varies. Complications may include:
Irreversible damage to your
facial nerve.
Abnormal regrowth of nerve
fibers. This may result in involuntary contraction of certain muscles when
you're trying to move others (synkinesis) — for example, when you smile, the
eye on the affected side may close.
Partial or complete
blindness of the eye that won't close due to excessive dryness and scratching
of the clear protective covering of the eye (cornea).
Bell’s Palsy can be a
nightmare. It can be extremely painful,
difficult to diagnose, of unknown origin and challenging to treat.
Three people in the public
eye who struggle with Bell’s Palsy are Ralph Nader, Angelina Jolie and
Sylvester Stallone.
Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA,
LFACHE
Senior Consultant
Senior Management
Resources, LLC
JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.net
412.913.0636 Cell
724.733.0509 Office
October 8, 2021
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