How to Tell If You Have Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is a condition in which one side of the face becomes paralyzed. Bell's palsy is named after Sir Charles Bell, a 19th century Scottish surgeon, who was the first to identify the condition. It is the most common cause of acute facial nerve paralysis.

Symptoms appear suddenly- your mouth droops and you're unable to shut your eye. Patients fear that they may have suffered a stroke, but Bell's palsy is not related to stroke.

Each year about 40,000 Americans develop Bell's palsy. It can occur at any age, but occurs more often in people over 15 and under 60. For most people, symptoms will begin to improve in a few weeks. A small percentage of people never recover and continue to have symptoms for the rest of their life.

This article will explain the causes of Bell's palsy, symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and traditional and complementary treatments.

What Causes Bell's Palsy?

A virus is the most common cause of Bell's palsy, although doctors believe it could be anything that irritates the facial nerve. Another cause is Lyme disease, especially in children and teens that live in heavily, wooded areas. Other things that may bring on Bell's palsy include:

• Injury to the head or face
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Stress
• Ear Infections
• A bad cold or flu
• The virus that causes cold sores, herpes simplex

What Are the Symptoms of Bell's Palsy?

• Mild earache or pain behind the ear
• Difficulty in speaking
• Half of the face drooping
• Trouble closing one eye
• Hearing sounds louder in one ear
• Loss of taste at affected parts of the tongue
• Excess or reduced salivation

How Is Bell's Palsy Diagnosed?

During the first visit to the doctor, questions will be asked and additional tests like an MRI, blood tests, and a CAT scan will be ordered. These additional tests will help the doctor rule out any other causes of facial weakness and paralysis. If no underlying cause is found, a diagnosis of Bell's palsy will be made.

Traditional Treatment of Bell's Palsy

To be effective, medication should be administered shortly after onset. Seven days is viewed as the outside limit for Bell's palsy. An anti-viral such as Zovirax and Prednisone, a fast acting anti-inflammatory agent, are currently used to treat Bell's palsy.

Prednisone can be used by children and adults whose immune systems are not compromised. Consult your doctor if you have diabetes, some kinds of cancers, heart problems, seizures, stomach or intestinal disorders, or if you are pregnant or nursing.

You may have side effects with prednisone, depending on how much you're taking and for what length of time.

Potential Side Effects of Prednisone

• Acne
• Mood Swings
• Increased Appetite and Weight Gain
• Stomach Pain (take medication with milk or a meal)
• Insomnia (if possible, take medication in the morning)
• Sensitive to the sun
• High Blood Pressure (reduce salt intake)
• Increased potassium depletion (eat fruit with high potassium levels)
• Fluid Retention (reduce salt intake)

An anti-viral like Zovirax or Famvir decreases inflammation at the nerve in a short period of time. A newer anti-viral, Valtrex, seems to work faster, but can cause adverse reactions such as headache, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and constipation.

Lubricating eye drops or ointments may be prescribed if the eye will not close completely. If you go out during the daytime, wear sunglasses. At night, put in lubricating eye drops and tape the eye shut.

Facial Exercises

Facial massage and exercises may help prevent the facial muscles from shrinking or shortening, but should be done in the later stages of the disease after the nerve has had time to heal.

Before doing facial exercises, get familiar with your face. I would suggest you print the diagram of the muscles and the list of the muscles' actions. Knowing how each muscle works, will help you learn to perform isolated muscle actions, as well as coordinate multiple muscle movements. Be careful and work the muscles gently.

Examples of Facial Exercises

• Sniffle. Wrinkle nose. Flare nostrils
• Curl upper lip up and raise and protrude upper lip.
• Compress lips together. Pucker lips & attempt to whistle.
• Smile without showing teeth; then smile showing teeth.

Complementary Treatments For Bell's Palsy May Include:

• Acupuncture
• Biofeedback training
• Vitamin therapy (including B12, B6, and zinc)
• Massage Therapy
• Accupressure

Support groups offer Bell's palsy sufferers empathy and a place to exchange ideas with those in a similar condition. A good internet support group exists at http://dem0nmac.mgh.harvard.edu/neurowebforum/neurowebforum.html.