Bell's palsy is a spontaneous paralysis of the facial nerve. Bell's palsy is not uncommon, as it affects 10-40 people out of 100,000. residents. They admitted to being ill, inter alia, George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan, Sylvester Stallone or Katie Holmes. What are the symptoms of Bell's palsy? What is the treatment? How is rehabilitation going? What exercises should I do? What role does massage play in recovery?

Bell's palsyis a spontaneous paralysis of the facial nerve (ie VII cranial nerve). The essence of the disease is the sudden weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles on one side. It is estimated that Bell's palsy affects 10-40 people out of 100,000.

Bell's Palsy - Causes

Bell's palsy is the result of damage to the facial nerve nucleus in the brainstem or its fibers. It is not known what are the causes of this condition - it happens spontaneously. Some speculate that Bell's palsy may be the result of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV I) reactivation in the so-called of the facial nerve knee ganglion or the effect of an inactivated intranasal influenza vaccine (the result of its use as an adjuvant in the so-called colonic enterotoxin).facial nerve palsyBella 3-6 times more likely than other people are womenpregnantand people between 15 and 45 years of age.

Bell's Palsy - Symptoms

The symptoms of Bell's palsy appear suddenly and are usually self-limiting. Sometimes the forerunner of Bell's palsy is pain near the ear that occurs a day or two before the palsy.

  • facial asymmetry during facial movements - the patient has the impression that the face is stiff and something is pulling it to one side
  • open eyelid, which makes the patient difficult to squeeze the eyelid and close the eye
  • lowering of the corner of the mouth on the side of the lesion, reminiscent of a post-stroke condition. The sick person cannot grin his teeth, whistle, inflate his cheek. Saliva may flow from the corner of the mouth
  • smoothing the forehead, the patient cannot wrinkle it
  • smoothing the nasolabial fold

Additional symptoms may be:

  • earache
  • unilateral impairment of the sense of taste
  • hypersensitivity to stimuliauditory
  • tear production impairment

Bell's Palsy - diagnosis

  • electroneurography (ENG) - is a neurological test aimed at assessing the function of peripheral nerves
  • electromyography (EMG) - assesses the features of facial muscle denervation
  • blink reflex
  • computed tomography of temporal bones

Bell's palsy - treatment, prognosis

The disease usually passes by itself without treatment. Most patients recover completely after a period of several weeks to several months. In a minority of patients, symptoms disappear for much longer, often incompletely, leaving more or less asymmetry in the facial muscles. Patients with severe paresis of the facial muscles are particularly prone to this, when at the beginning there are disorders of tear secretion, taste disturbances in the tongue, and hypersensitivity to sounds. People over 60, with arterial hypertension and diabetes also have a worse prognosis.

Facial massage plays an important role in the rehabilitation process as it prevents contractures.

The disease usually does not require treatment, but your doctor may decide to give you gicocorticosteroids (prednisone), which may shorten your recovery and moderately improve your condition.

If there is a suspicion that HSV-1 may be involved in the development of the disease, your doctor may decide to give you antiviral drugs (usually acyclovir). However, they are used in patients whose facial nerve paralysis is very high.

In symptomatic treatment, moisturizing eye drops (so-called artificial tears) and tape (or patches) closing the upper eyelids are used, thus preventing the eye from drying out at night.

Bell's palsy - rehabilitation. Exercises and massages

Physical therapy plays a very important role in recovery and should be implemented as soon as possible. Recommended treatments are a solux lamp, warm compresses on the cheek and ear area, and possibly electrotherapy. Also important arefacial muscle exercises , which the patient should perform several times a day with periodic check-up by a physiotherapist. If there is no improvement, the facial nerve must be surgically decompressed.

Category:

Neurology