What does Bells palsy affect?

Bell palsy is a disorder of the nerve that controls movement of the muscles in the face. This nerve is called the facial or seventh cranial nerve. Damage to this nerve causes weakness or paralysis of these muscles. Paralysis means that you cannot use the muscles at all.

Can Bell's palsy lead to other problems?

Bell's palsy usually resolves in time and causes no long-term complications. However, during the illness most people with Bell's palsy are unable to close their eye on the affected side of their face. It is, therefore, important to protect the eye from drying at night or while working at a computer.

Who does Bell's palsy affect the most?

It can affect anyone of any gender and age, but its incidence seems to be highest in those in the 15- to 45-year-old age group. Risk factors for Bell's palsy include pregnancy, preeclampsia, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and upper respiratory ailments.

What is the main cause of Bell's palsy?

What causes Bell's palsy? Bell's palsy occurs when the seventh cranial nerve becomes swollen or compressed, resulting in facial weakness or paralysis. The exact cause of this nerve damage is unknown, but many medical researchers believe it's most likely triggered by a viral infection.

Is Bell's palsy a mini stroke?

Bell's palsy is a temporary paralysis of the facial muscles, causing drooping and weakness on one side of the face, and is sometimes mistaken for a stroke. While alarming, Bell's palsy is usually not permanent and resolves itself in two weeks to six months, depending on the severity.

2-Minute Neuroscience: Bell's Palsy

Is Bell's palsy triggered by stress?

Bell's Palsy is a neurological condition in which the seventh facial nerve is not working properly, causing paralysis of one side of your face. Most people don't know that Bell's Palsy is most often brought on by stress and over use of your brain.

Are there warning signs of Bell's palsy?

The early symptoms of Bell's palsy may include a slight fever, pain behind the ear and weakness on one side of the face. The symptoms may begin suddenly and progress rapidly over several hours and sometimes follow a period of stress or reduced immunity. The whole side of the face is affected.

What organs does Bell's palsy affect?

Bell's palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face, with young adults of either sex more susceptible for unknown reasons. The facial nerve services the muscles of the face, the ear, salivary and tear glands, and provides some of the sensations of taste on the tongue.

Is having Bell's palsy serious?

Bell's palsy temporarily weakens or paralyzes facial muscles. A pinched facial nerve causes this paralysis, or palsy. People with this type of facial nerve palsy develop a droopy appearance on one — or sometimes both — sides of the face. The condition isn't serious and often resolves in a few months without treatment.

What should you avoid if you have Bell's palsy?

Avoid stringy, chewy foods and those with pips, skins, shells, or husks, (e.g. raw tomatoes, lettuce, chewy meats, sweet corn, peas, baked beans). You may find rice and dry, crumbly foods difficult and they can cause coughing.

Does Bell's palsy affect life expectancy?

The condition results in a partial or complete inability to spontaneously move the facial muscles on the affected side. Bell palsy is clinically easy to diagnose, does not affect a patient's mortality and life expectancy, and usually has a good prognosis.

What autoimmune diseases cause Bell's palsy?

Bell's palsy may be an autoimmune demyelinating cranial neuritis, and in most cases, it is a mononeuritic variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurologic disorder with recognised cell-mediated immunity against peripheral nerve myelin antigens.

What is the fastest way to cure Bell's palsy?

There is no cure, but most people regain their facial strength and expression between 2 weeks and 6 months after symptoms begin. During Bell's palsy, one side of the face becomes weak or paralyzed. To help speed up the recovery process, many people choose to do physical therapy for Bell's palsy.

Can I drive with Bell's palsy?

The patient with unilateral peripheral facial paralysis should rest the first days that are associated with significant anxiety and worry, and should not drive. He cannot be led when the palpebral cleft is broad and the eye cannot be closed. The temporal occlusion of the affected eye is disabling for driving.

What will a neurologist do for Bell's palsy?

Your neurologist will evaluate the degree of facial weakness and also assess your overall neuromuscular function. Then they may request additional tests, including: Blood work (lab tests) to check for signs of infection that could be causing the symptoms.

What deficiency causes Bell's palsy?

To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, vitamin C deficiency has been reported as a cause or triggering/risk factor for Bell's palsy and at the same time immune-inflammation triggered in BP also may lead to vitamin C deficiency as existing vitamin C in the body starts scavenging free radicals to prevent ...

Is Bell's palsy brain damage?

In summary, this study provided significant evidence for abnormal brain activity between patients with early left and right Bell's palsy. In addition, the severities of the disease were closely associated with abnormal fALFF values in certain brain regions.

What kind of trauma causes Bell's palsy?

Traumatic Injury

An injury from a fall, motor vehicle accident, or other causes can severely damage nerves and muscles in the face, ultimately resulting in partial or total facial paralysis.

Should I go to ER for Bell's palsy?

When to go to the emergency room (ER) There are conditions, such as stroke, that may look like Bell's palsy and are medical emergencies. Therefore, you should seek emergent medical care if you notice facial weakness or drooping. Although Bell's palsy can be alarming, it's rarely serious.

What is best treatment for Bell's palsy?

Patients with Bell's palsy should be treated within three days of the onset of symptoms with a seven-day course of oral acyclovir (Zovirax) or valacyclovir (Valtrex), plus a tapering course of oral prednisone.

How many times can you get bells palsy?

The mean recurrence interval is usually more than one year. More than two relapses in patients with Bell's palsy are less frequent and recurrences more than 4 are rare. There is no side prevalence for recurrence of Bell's palsy.

What happens if Bell's palsy is untreated?

Roughly 71% of patients with Bell's palsy recover completely without treatment; however, in the U.S., more than 8,000 patients each year are left with some permanent facial weakness.

Is Bell's palsy caused by high blood pressure?

BELL PALSY AND HYPERTENSION

Since this description, hypertension has been identified as the cause of facial palsy in many cases. Renal artery stenosis, like other surgically correctable causes of hypertension, usually presents as moderate to severe hypertension.

Can Bell's palsy be prevented?

You cannot prevent Bell's palsy

Because it's probably caused by an infection, Bell's palsy cannot usually be prevented. It may be linked to the herpes virus. You'll usually only get Bell's palsy once, but it can sometimes come back. This is more likely if you have a family history of the condition.

Does sleep help Bell's palsy?

The 5 Musts-Do's When First Diagnosed with Bell's Palsy:

REST (If you have a new baby, this means calling in the family or a night nanny. You MUST sleep for the nerve to regenerate.