Bell’s palsy is a paralysis of the facial muscle. It usually effects on one side of the face and develops rapidly. The cause is not clear but most cases are probably due to viral infection. Most people make a full recovery within 2 to 3 months. However, you should be alarmed if you cannot close your eyelids fully.
What is the facial nerve?
Everyone has facial nerve on each side of your face. Each facial nerve comes out from your brain, through a small tunnel in your skull just under your ear. The nerve splits into many branches that supply the small muscles of the face that your use to smile, frown, etc… IT also supplies the muscles that you use to close your eyelids. Branches of the facial nerve also take taste sensations from your tongue to your brain.
Who gets Bell’s palsy?
Anyone can get Bell’s palsy, and it affects both men and women equally. It most commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 40. Bell’s palsy is the most common cause of a sudden facial weakness. About 1 in 70 people have a Bell’s palsy at some stage in their life.
What are the symptoms of Bell’s palsy?
Weakness of the face which is usually one-sided. The weakness normally develops quickly, over a few hours or so. You may first notice the weakness after getting up in the morning, and so it may appear quite dramatic. The effects of the weakness vary, depending on whether the verve is partially or fully affected.
This includes the following:
• Your face may droop to one side. When you smile, only half of your face may move.
• Chewing food on the affected side may be a problem. Food may get trapped between your gum and cheek. Drinks and saliva may escape from the side of our mouth.
• You may not be able to close an eye. This may cause a watery or dry eye.
• You may not be able to wrinkly your fox head, whistle or blow out your cheek
• You may have some difficulty with speech, as the muscles in the side of the face help in forming some words. For example, words that begin with a P
• Most cases are painless or cause just a mild ache. However some people develop some pain near the ear which can last for a few days
• Loud sounds may be uncomfortable, and normal noises may sound louder than usual, This is because a tiny muscle in the ear may stop working
• You must lose the sense of taste on the side of the tongue that is affected.
For the small number of cases where the facial weakness does not recover fully, and remains unsightly, some techniques may be considered:
• Physiotherapy: A treatment with facial exercises may help.
Contact us at Rainbow Arokayal Holistic Longevity Clinic.
