Bells Palsy: Symptoms and Treatment

Bells palsy is named after the 19th century Scottish surgeon Sir Charles Bell. Bells palsy is the kind of disease that comes on fast.It is caused by a weakening of the facial muscles, and followed by paralysis. It is not permanent and involves the 7th cranial nerve. You go to sleep one night with no signs of the disease and the next morning you look in the mirror and see half your face is drooping. This happens with just one single nerve in the face. The nerve passes through a narrow bony area down the side of the face. When it becomes swollen the nerve is crushed by the bony area causing paralysis. Usually this only happens on one side of the face. There will be a drooping of the eye, eyebrow, cheek and corner of the mouth. It is rare that this happens bilaterally, only 1% of the population. Over 40,000 are affected each year. One out of every 5000 people are diagnosed with this disease. Bells palsy affects males, females and all races equally. 60 to 80% recover in several weeks with no treatment. However, in some cases it may take several months to recover, it depends on the degree of the paralysis. This nerve regenerates at approximately 1 - 2 millimeters per day, and continues to regenerate for up to 18 months. The time span for recurrences is 10 years, however most people never have another recurrence with this disease. Bells Palsy is 4 time more common in diabetics, and also pregnant woman in the last trimester. Someone who's immune system is compromised is also at risk. It is rare that Bells palsy will affect anyone under 15 years old or over 60. Bells Palsy is not contagious.

Symptom's:
Bells Palsy progresses quickly. It can start with a pain behind the ear on the affected side, or a pain in the neck. This can happen 2 to 3 days before paralysis. Other warning signs may be tingling in the lip area or dry eye. You will notice a dropping on one side of the face,you may also experience loss of taste, headache or pain in the ear on the affected side. Difficulty eating or drinking. Also there may be some nausea and a difficulty closing the eye on the affected side. You may feel more tired, this is normal since the body has been injured, and it is important to get as much rest as possible. Bells Palsy does not affect any other area of the body. If other areas of the body are paralyzed or numb then further testing needs to be done.

Causes:
Doctors pinpointed some of the cause of Bells Palsy as herpes simplex 1, Epstein-Barr, mumps, rubella and cytomegalovirus, just to name a few. The bacteria enters the canal around the nerve through tiny portals. Facial wounds can also cause paralysis. Other bacterial triggers such are HIV-Aids or Lyme disease causes inflammation and compresses the nerve. Doctors speculate that exposure to cold can be a trigger, like sleeping with a window open, driving in a car with the wind blowing on your face in chilly weather. Also some cases have been reported after an influenza vaccine.

Treatment:
Your doctor may prescribe prednisone or an antiviral medication to relieve compression on the nerve. These medications should be started 7 days after the onset of the diagnoses. Eletromogrphy (EMG) may be used as another form of treatment, this detects any nerve damage and the severity. An MRI may be taken to rule out any evidence of a brain tumor or stroke. Surgery can be done to relieve pressure on the nerve, this is in extreme cases where there is long term paralysis. The surgery should be done in the first two weeks for optimal results. Permanent hearing loss may be a result of complications due to the surgery. A person may also try acupuncture, facial massages and physiotherapy to improve the condition, however scientist's say, there is no evidence that this will work. The primary concern is eye care, since someone with bells palsy can not close there eye. The eye may become dry, so eye drops are needed. A patch should be worn at night to protect the eye from damage and to keep the eye closed.

Some questions to ask your doctor...Will medication be prescribed? What are the side affects of the medication? What tests needs to be done to get the right diagnoses? What are the chances of a full recovery? If paralysis is server is surgery recommended? Are there any facial exercises that can be performed that will help with recovery?