There are a few questions that I get question commonly. Throughout my journey treating Bell’s palsy, I can assure you that nothing beats home treatment. Some doctors do suggest taking steroids and antibiotics to reduce inflammation. But that doesn’t mean you don’t do face exercises daily and regulate your diet plan.
Treating Bell’s palsy, here are some of the most commonly aske questions about it. I am answering these questions with my experience.
Does Bell’s palsy affect only one side of your face?
Bell’s palsy only affects one side of your face. Most commonly, it is the left side. The left eye becomes dry because it is challenging to blink the eye. It may also affect the right side, and the tear ducts in the right eye aren’t shedding water. The smile droops on one side and pain on the side where there is inflammation. According to my research, if both of your eyes are affect, or pain on both sides occurs, it is not Bell’s palsy.
However, Bell’s palsy may lead to synkinesis, which is the involuntary movement of facial nerves.
What will happen to the affected side of your face?
The onset of Bell’s palsy is sudden stroke in the jaw or frequent blinking of the eye on the affected side. It leads to the dropping smile on one side and the inability to close the eye. There is dryness and irritation when listening to sounds. Along with that, the overall body feels heavy and numb. The inflammation causes pain in the affected side of the face and often leads to sleepless nights.
Cognitive and behavioral therapy suggests that due to facial paralysis, people often lose confidence. There is a drastic fall in dopamine hormone release occurs. Some studies confirm rapid episodes of anxiety and depression alongside suicidal thoughts.
What are the most common symptoms?
The most common symptoms include involuntary movement of facial expressions. It has a disordered tendency of smiling, blinking, and squinting. There can also be loss of feeling in the face with headache and tearing in the eye. Some complaints also include drooling and taste loss in the ¾ part of the tongue.
There is hyperacusis which means hypersensitivity in the ear towards the sound. The most common symptoms after drooping of the smile are the inability to close the affected eye, which leads to dryness and swelling.
What is the most common treatment?
Some people choose medical treatments, while others opt for therapies and massages. The former treatment depends on the severity of the nerve inflammation. It includes eyelid surgery, facial nerve decompression, facial nerve draft repair, modified selective neurectomy, and medications. Other surgeries are recommended in case of the severity of the inflammation leading to permanent damage to the nerves.
The non-surgical treatments include acupuncture, massage, occupational or physical therapy, and kinesiology taping techniques. Vasopneumatic therapy is similar to cupping, but it pulls surface and targeted areas embedded more profound into the skin. Moreover, studies have shown that synkineedling, laser, and light therapies are also recommended during the onset of facial paralysis.
What is the most common diagnosis?
There are four most common diagnoses use for acute facial paralysis, also known as Bell’s palsy.
- Electromyography is a fragile wire inserted into the muscles of the patient. It confirms the severity of the inflammation.
- A blood test is also included to check the onset of diabetes or any infections for determining its cause.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging can rule out any facial pressure on the nerves.
- A CT scan, computer tomography is similar to MRI but rules out the artery inflammation or compression in the brain.
How long does it take to get better?
There is no time limit set to the time taken by Bell’s palsy to get better. Sometimes it may take less than a month, and other times, it can take years to get treated.
Is treatment necessary?
It is essential to check the severity of the nerve inflammation. Most of the time, the doctors suggest getting treat at the earliest. The pain and discomfort can be lowered, whereas the signs will remain long if not properly cared for.
Will my face get normal or have some after-effects from Bell’s palsy?
There might be some complications after Bell’s palsy is completely treated. There may be excessive dryness in the affected eye, often leading to pain. Some bell palsy patients have complained about synkinesis, which is the involuntary movement of another facial feature in response to one. Due to the seventh cranial nerve damage, there might be a loss of nerve control in the face.
Wrapping up
Bell’s palsy is also known as acute facial paralysis. The questions mentioned above are some of the most common queries of the patients. If there are any more, let me know in the comments section, and I’ll try answering them in the next part.
