What is Bell's Palsy?
Bell's palsy is a specific condition that occurs suddenly. It is characterized by weakness or complete paralysis of the muscles of the face. It is typically only on one side of the face. Luckily, this is a temporary issue that can be cleared up within a matter of weeks. It also has a different name, which is acute peripheral facial paralysis. Today, scientists still cannot provide us with a definitive reason for Bell's. But there are some theories.
Most people pass their first symptoms when they go to the mirror to see the reflection of their face. This can be quite scary and alarming, but the disease is fully treatable. Doctors use various methods to treat Bell's palsy. Even though this condition does not cause much health hazard, it may undermine mental health. Thus, it is of use to know how to identify the related symptoms so that patients can perceive a diagnosis earlier.
Learn all the key things you need to know about Bell's Palsy and boost your health literacy here. Read the article till the end to know the reason you should not panic if you have this type of palsy and what can be done to eliminate this problem.
Is Bell's palsy a common condition? It means the lifetime risk of having this paralysis is one in 60. Furthermore, Bell's palsy affects women and men equally, showing no age preference. Incidence peaks between 20 and 30 years of age, and the same goes for the 60–70 group. The symptoms can be alarming, but over 80% of patients recover merely on their own, and 90% to 97% improve with treatment.
This particular condition was named after a Scottish neurologist called Charles Bell. He was the first to ever describe this paralysis and noticed it involved the seventh cranial nerve. Facial paralysis occurs when the nerves become damaged. However, the reasons for the damage remain unexplained. At the same time, experts have observed an important association between viral infections and Bell's palsy.
Certain viruses can cause inflammation and plug the lower motor neurons that activate the facial muscles. This rising pressure in the bone canal squeezes the nerves, which means less oxygen and less blood reaching the nerve cells. The pathogen can cause paralysis even if it is dormant, i.e., in asymptomatic patients. Find out which infectious viruses can lead to Bell's palsy.
Having a nice, quiet walk in the woods or park is very relaxing, but sadly, dangers are lying in our path. Wild animals? Pickpockets? No, ticks! As you might know, a tick bite can lead to a bacterial disease. However, ticks are also carriers of dangerous viruses. The germs that cause Lyme disease may infect the nerves, such as the facial nerve, potentially causing Bell's palsy.
HIV is just the virus that all of us are afraid of because it will gradually lessen the ability of the immune system and expose the body to various infections as well as complications. Untreated, diseases can become extremely serious and are then referred to as AIDS. The association with Bell's palsy is in the setting of a neuroinfection and/or neuropathy in which the virus or complications damage the facial nerve, leading to sudden weakness or paralysis.
One of the important moments in your childhood may be your first serious illness when your mother tenderly nursed you. An example of such an illness is chickenpox, which affects everyone. The viral cause of this disease is Varicella zoster. The infection itself is usually benign. But after the disease is resolved, the virus can remain latent for decades before reemerging when the immune system is impaired and attacking the nerves. This reaction can result in Bell's Palsy.
When the immune system wades into the chaos of an Epstein-Barr virus battle, the implanted systems within the body can occasionally feel the effects. Mononucleosis causes many unpleasant symptoms, such as fever and weakness, which usually subside. But sometimes, the virus also affects the nerves, including the facial nerve, resulting in Bell's palsy.
Cold sores occurs because of the herpes simplex virus, a common cold virus. They are most often local to the lips but can also happen in the genital area. While this innocuous ailment is easily treatable, its stealth counterpart, shingles, can invade the nerves and cause serious complications, such as Bell's palsy, showing us that some small infections can be perilous.
The world has changed quite significantly because of the pandemic, especially the medical world. All over the world, thousands of published papers on SARS-CoV-2 are available. As we know now, it is a respiratory ailment with a series of neurological complications. This new pathogen, in turn, could invade our nervous system, directly causing a facial paralysis called Bell's palsy.
This common childhood illness typically causes a rash and fever, but it can also, in rare cases, cause disease affecting the nervous system. Complications of rubella also involve the facial nerve, causing Bell's palsy.
Beyond its usual symptoms, influenza may lead to neurological complications (a disease in the brain or nervous system), including encephalitis or inflammation of the nerves, which can, in turn, sometimes cause Bell's palsy. This is especially relevant to the easily shared strains of influenza B virus. It is for this reason that caution and care must be taken, even at the time of seasonal infection.
Human sarcoidosis creates nodules (granulomas) in many different organs, from the lungs to the skin. The reason for this is unknown. This illness influences the nerves, which may trigger neuropathy. In severe cases, it can damage the facial nerve and cause Bell's palsy.
An infection in the ear usually begins with a cold, which is when viruses or bacteria get to the ear. This causes irritation and also produces discomfort, a sense of fullness, and sometimes a high temperature. Similarly, the infection may also involuntarily involve the peripheral facial nerve (the most important nerve in the origin of Bell's palsy).
Diseases of this system, from bronchitis to fulminant pneumonia, are typically associated with viral and bacterial infections. But, in severe cases, a respiratory disease named Bell's palsy can also appear due to nerve inflammation.
A variety of factors can affect the possibility of Bell's palsy. Among them is pregnancy, a time when women are naturally more prone to this ailment. The risk is also greater in those with high blood pressure in the shape of pre-eclampsia, the most common complication of pregnancy; obese individuals defined as having a BMI above 30; and individuals with hypertension in general. A metabolic disease, diabetes is also a significant risk factor, as are previous bouts of Bell's palsy, as they might put up a disposition to further afflictions.
Researchers have also argued that genetics is involved in developing Bell's palsy. Experts in this area say certain individuals might be genetically predisposed to the problem. Bell's palsy does not typically come back, but repeated episodes are most common among individuals with a family history of it.
While the exact way Bell's palsy affects each individual can differ, some initial early symptoms are distinctive for the condition. A mild but annoying pain begins in the back behind the ear, often accompanied by a low-grade fever. Symptoms can vary as the condition moves along. The classic symptoms often develop rapidly, in most cases, within 48 to 72 hours after the initial symptoms emerge. They can last for several days and vary in severity. Symptoms of paralysis can occur on both sides of the face, though rare.
Bell's palsy is mild in some cases and may even cause only mild weakness of the facial muscles. The patient might not experience complete eyelid closure or a corner of the mouth that droops slightly, resulting in only minor inconveniences.
In more severe cases, the facial nerve may be entirely paralyzed, which makes daily life extremely challenging. Asymmetrical weakness of the muscles on one side of the face, often involving weakness of the corner of the mouth, eyelid, eyebrow, and even the forehead, is a classic feature of total paralysis. It makes the face look as if half of it is drooping and is accompanied, amongst other things, by the inability to frown, shut the eye, or smile fully. In such conditions, making facial expressions is impossible. Heaviness or a loss of sensation on the affected side, a drooping eyelid that fails to close the eye, and incompleteness of gaze may also be present.
Headaches, tension or numbness in the jaw, and a feeling of pressure in the face can accompany typical Bell's palsy symptoms. Some patients describe having pain behind the ear, which can be sharp and constant. Reduced ability to taste food on the side affected, altered tear and salivation, and difficulty pronouncing specific words all add to the discomfort. Also, there may be anxiety, achiness, sensitivities to light and/or sound, and a sensation of dry mouth or eyes. Facial muscle tremors worsen, and eating and drinking become difficult, leading to impaired activities of daily living for some clients.
Your doctor will physically examine the face and ask about symptoms to assess whether you have Bell's palsy. During the examination, the patient may be asked to do facial movements such as frowning, closing the eyes, etc. A critical step in the diagnosis is also excluding other conditions and diseases that can cause similar symptoms to Bell's palsy, for example, stroke and multiple sclerosis. Moreover, medical tests are helpful in making a differential diagnosis and more.
Blood tests can be helpful to exclude, for example, bacterial infections, diabetes, and other diseases. They also perform imaging tests like CT scans or MRIs. They help in identifying the reason behind the compression of the nerve, which can be a skull fracture or even a tumor. These are also used for the examination of neurological disorders. Electromyography can also help assess nerve damage and determine how severe the damage may be. Sometimes, a lumbar puncture is performed as well.
Bell palsy usually disappears on its own after some time. But it's better to get treated as complications are possible. There are several techniques and treatment methods, which may also accelerate recovery. Patients usually take pills for this condition. However, severe cases of paralysis require surgery. Find out how to get rid of facial paralysis.
This unusual condition is typically treated with antiviral drugs. They can accelerate healing, particularly among people with complete paralysis. Doctors also recommend corticosteroids for swollen nerves. If the symptoms of paralysis become painful, patients may also use painkillers.
If a patient has Bell's palsy, it might not be possible for them to completely close their eyes. Without being able to blink, the eye may dry out or become irritated. This is why some patients also use eye drops for some instant relief.
Some physiotherapy methods work very well for Bell's palsy, which can include basic facial massages and facial muscle exercises. In fact, during serious cases, electrical stimulation also work to maintain facial muscle tone and improve muscle function by causing these muscles to contract. Besides, the patient can also wear special eye patches to prevent harmful factors.
Facial paralysis is rarely treated surgically. Bell's palsy is treated with this invasive form when patients do not feel the effects of treatment, and Bell's palsy persists for a long time.
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