Besides facial muscles, the nerve affects tears, saliva, taste and a small bone in the middle of the ear. Thank you for your post I have dealt with BP 7 times after seeing dr after dr and specialist after specialist they have just determined that I am a chronic carrier of the virus. A full medical history, including any recent illnesses or viral infections is recorded. Hi Paola, I had the exact same situation . My right eye stays in a squinting position. For example, every time I blink, my bp side has contraction just under my nostril, inside my cheek & below my bottom lip I get a dimple. Good luck, Rabi! In Bells palsy, one half of the face abruptly becomes temporarily paralyzed. I guess thats wrong, people can get it several times. Release anger, resentments or any negative emotions. Sleeping was sometimes difficult and I didnt find any painkillers to be effective. Several of the nutrients suggested in this protocol may have adverse effects. Im from Australia and the doctor only prescribed me steroids for 5 days and said it will just heal with time. Understanding Bell's palsy. Hey Ian, Also, I guess stress triggers it? For anyone that reads this and has never suffered through it please be patient and understand its irritating and extremely frustrating and nothing helps but time. When we updated a few of my blog posts got mixed up. He was prescribed the corticosteroid and antiviral and we were told that it could last a couple of weeks or up to six months. I wish you the best. I really cant wait to move any part of my right face even just a small twitch. Have you asked a doctor about the ringing? Ive never been sick till now and I refuse to accept it. I withdrawal from talking, going out in public, etc. Had eye twitching and taste was off but didnt know it was a symptom of BP. I will send you a message when it is fixed. Make a donation. Found your great helpful post. Always back and forth with the kids from school to this activity, that sport, drop off pick up, etc. I would definitely recommend checking with your doctor to see if they can test or make any recommendations to prevent it from coming on. Also, can I drink softdrinks during Bells Palsy? He has tried ibuprofen and excedrin migraine but it wont go away. I started acupuncture and took PIzza and all fast food out of my life. Bell's Palsy. 55 Kenosia Avenue Bell's palsy is also known as "acute facial palsy of unknown cause.". However, I cant seem to get to your Part 5: 15 Tips entry, as it seems to have morphed into a guest post. Bell's palsy affects about 40,000 people in the United States every year. There was zero movement of the eyebrow or forehead, I couldnt blink or close my eye, my mouth drooped downward and it was even harder to breathe through my nostril. I got bellspalsy..didnt realise I had it..I was waking with one eye looking like Id not slept..gad been extremely tired for weeks..my.mam had died in June 2022..unexpectedly..so I guess bells palsy was a reaction..a delayed reactionI had suppressed my grief..as couldnt face it Also if I have a headache it shows in my eye. Dont do facebook. I just turned 74 and will probably be the same if I make it thru another decade. Therefore foods that encourage herpes outbreaks, or that increase inflammation, should be avoided. Early treatment with prednisolone increases the chance of complete recovery of facial function to 82%. The other thing is when u squint I get a dimple on the left side of my chin. They affect the entire half of the face, while stroke or cerebral tumor usually causes paralysis below the eye. Other supplements have attracted attention in Bells palsy but have not been subjected to rigorous scientific testing. XOXO. With Bell's palsy, your face droops on one side or, rarely, both sides. No, I did not find the content I was looking for, Yes, I did find the content I was looking for, Please rate how easy it was to navigate the NINDS website, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). But I never stop. Thanks for sharing!! Unable to swallow pills, i went back again and was given liquid meds. So many decisions! document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Discover my best tips and recipes in your inbox! Im an Intervention teacher. "Bell's Palsy Fact Sheet", NINDS, Publication date June 2018. Thats what I do here, and I call it cleverful living. Hi Holley! . Get the supplements you need, when needed! https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Bells-Palsy-Fact-Sheet. In most cases this weakness occurs to both upper and lower facial muscles, including the forehead, eyelid, and/or mouth. My dr told me I could return to work and exercise whenever I feel up to it so I have been hoping that wont be detrimental to my recovery. Although it generally only affects one side of the face, it can affect both sides in rare instances. BELL'S PALSY OVERVIEW. Bell's palsy, also known as idiopathic facial palsy, is a form of temporary facial paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. Woke the following morning and didnt notice anything strange until I went to sip water while taking daily meds and my lips couldnt close around the cup. Ive been doing acupuncture twice a week, Electronic stimulation at home every other day, vibrating facial massage every other day, and facial exercises everyday but its been 2 weeks and I cant see any significant improvement. Some individuals may be left with mild residual facial weakness or show moderate to severe deficits. I would say I am about 75-80% healed. I am taking the advice of your correspondents to get more rest and have cancelled things for a week but that is all I can manage. Am trying to tell myself to be patient and give myself 2 weeks before even expecting any improvement. HSV1 is most commonly associated with oral lesions, as opposed to HSV2, which is most commonly associated with genital lesions. Ask your doctor about a referral to a massage therapist with experience in treating Bell's Palsy with facial massage. Currently, Ive had BP for 8 weeks & 3 days, I would say Im 95% recovered. Going on 8 months with bells, I have seen about 80% healing. I was diagnosed with mild bells palsy with my smile drooping on one side. The main branch controls most of the muscles on one side . Its been a year now and I still work on it. EASIER! How kind of you to care for your newborn granddaughter. 6. Does anyone know how long it takes for something to post? Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. I am happy that you are recovered and you gave me hope. Please continue to keep us posted. Thats so much easier said than done when we all lead busy lifestyles but if you can decrease stress at all, hopefully, it will help to speed up the process. Im currently on day 5 of Bells paulsy. I know or at least hope that within a few months I could have a fairly good recovery but at the moment the hours feel like days and its difficult to get through. Hello. Oh and my eye doctor started me on multifocal contacts which also take some getting used to. It improved a lot for 2 weeks. Ronthal M. Bell's palsy: Pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnosis in adults. I looked in the mirror since my face was feeling weird and noticed my smile slightly different and when I pucker my lips, the pucker isnt straight forward, it veers to the left. I am so sorry! There is nothing more frustrating than Bells palsy. The cause of idiopathic Bell's Palsy is felt to be a sensory ganglionitis of the central nervous system with a secondary muscle palsy. Looking at me at 4 weeks in, I dont think other people woukd notice at all. Some individuals with co-existing conditions may not respond well to or be able to take steroid drugs. You cant really tell I have BP unless Im talking. Doctors and scientists havent found the exact reason that Bells palsy occurs, but research shows that the cause of Bells palsy is often connected to types of viral infections or people with diabetes (Webmd, Dec 2016). In one study, three groups of patients were tested: one received methylcobalamin (vitamin B12), one received corticosteroids, and the third received methylcobalamin in combination with corticosteroids. Driving makes it worse even with sunglasses. Id love some of that research! Irreversible damage to your facial nerve. It's most important to get supplements that support myelination as Bell's palsy leads to demyelination. Now Ive got a panic attack and Anxiety. Do for yourself what gives you peace & joy allowing your body to heal itself. I just start getting better, then get it again. On September 13 I woke up with Bells palsy. 8 Tips and Takeaways When First Diagnosed with Bell's Palsy. However, being away from home has not been restful. I hope it doesnt either!! Bethesda, MD 20892. I ran across your blog on Bells Palsy right after my onset in November 2018. These include: For more information see the Safety Appendix, Thank you for taking the time to read Bells Palsy. Almost a Novocain like sensation from when Ive had dental work. Also known as Idiopathic Peripheral Facial Palsy, it is named after Sir Charles Bell [1774 to 1842], who was a Scottish surgeon, neurologist and anatomist. Has come to this. Thanks for posting this Symptoms appear suddenly over a 48 - 72-hour period and generally start to improve with or without treatment after a few weeks, with recovery of some or all facial function within six months. Bell's palsy is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis. So frustrated with the whole thing. Hi Holley, I am reading your blog with interest having just encountered Bells Palsy for myself 3 days ago. I think I have recovered close to 90% over the years and I never let it affect me emotionally. If youre on Facebook, there are some very helpful groups that may have a good answer for you. Please let us know what you find out. Clinical evidence of improvement occurs spontaneously within three weeks in 85 percent of cases, and most individuals eventually recover normal facial function. Bell's palsy is a condition that occurs when a specific facial nerve (the 7th cranial nerve) becomes swollen or inflamed. 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