Bell’s Palsy Health Condition – Symptoms and Signs
Bell’s Palsy Medical Conditions – Learn the Signs and Symptoms
Imagine waking up one morning with a pounding headache, only to discover that you can’t seem to move one side of your face, and drool is running from your mouth and you can’t seem to stop it. You get up and look in the mirror to see both your eyelid and the corner of your mouth drooping. You feel panic rising inside you convinced you have had a stroke. You are rushed to the hospital given a series of test and then told you have Bell’s Palsy.
If you are like most people you have no idea what Bell’s Palsy is or even how serious it is. Now you are learning first hand about this mystifying medical condition so that you can use these healthy living tips to become more aware.
What Is Bell’s Palsy?
Bell’s palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis that occurs when there is damage to a nerve that controls the movement of the muscles on one side of the face.
- This condition occurs in 2 out of every 10,000 people and is linked to the swelling of the cranial facial nerve.
Bell’s palsy has been linked to Lyme disease, diabetes, and sarcoidosis.
The cause of this condition is not really known though some medical professionals believe that Herpes infection may be involved.
- Bell’s palsy is not a life threatening condition.
Bell’s palsy Diagnosis Symptoms and Signs
Many symptoms of Bell’s palsy are the same symptoms that are attributed to a stroke. Drooping eyelid and corner of the mouth, paralysis on one side of the face, face feels stiff, headache, difficulty in moving your mouth and jaw and to eat or drink and other such symptoms.
- Anyone who has any of these symptoms should immediately seek a physicians care in order to rule out the possibility of a stroke or other serious illness.
When diagnosing this disease the patient will be given a number of tests such as An MRI, nerve conduction test, electromyography and a test for Lyme disease. Your Physician will also want to rule out tumors and head injuries.
Treating Bell’s Palsy
There really is no treatment for Bell’s palsy as such. Bell’s is a condition that seems to clear itself up in a few weeks to few months.
- 60% to 80% of those who contact Bell’s palsy recover completely. Others may have some permanent paralysis.
Some Physicians will prescribe anti-viral medications to reduce swelling and relive pressure on the facial nerves.
- It is best for these medications to be started within 24 hours of the onset of the symptoms for this condition.
Other treatments include lubricating eye ointments for patients who have difficulty completely closing an eye. It might also be necessary to wear an eye patch when sleeping.
While the onset of Bell’s palsy can be terrifying, the condition itself is not life threatening.
- Little can be done to treat it and the nerve simply needs the time to heal itself. Recovery can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and most people recover completely.
While the causes of this condition may be a bit of a mystery understanding that you can recover from it will ease your worry and help you deal with the weeks or months of healing that lie ahead.
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