شلل بيل / Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy (facial nerve):
Facial nerve disorders, which can manifest as involuntary muscle contractions, muscle weakness, or facial paralysis, are not a disease in themselves but a symptom of an illness, usually caused by infection, injury, or a tumor. And the doctor tries to diagnose the cause of facial nerve involvement with his assessments. What is the Facial nerve and what does it do?
The Facial nerve is very similar to a telephone cable and contains about 7,000 nerve fibers. Each nerve fiber conducts electrical messages to a specific muscle in the face, which ultimately changes the state of the face in the form of laughter, smiles, crying, frowning, etc., and therefore the normal function of this nerve in communication. Everyday is very important in showing our emotions and feelings as well as in the proper functioning of the eyes and mouth.
When about half or more of these nerve fibers are cut, facial muscle weakness occurs. If these fibers are stimulated, then movements in the facial muscles such as muscle spasms or repeated contractions of the facial muscles occur. The facial nerve not only transmits nerve messages to the facial muscles, but also branches to the lacrimal glands, the salivary glands. The stapes muscle sends in the middle ear. This nerve is also responsible for the sense of taste in the anterior part of the tongue. Because the function of the facial nerve is so complex and complex, many symptoms may occur as a result of facial nerve dysfunction.
In short, damage to the facial nerve can cause sporadic contractions of the facial muscles, facial paralysis, dry eye, dry mouth, or impaired sense of taste. The most common cause of sudden facial muscle weakness is Bell's palsy. This disorder is actually facial paralysis of unknown cause. Some believe that the disease is probably caused by the body's immune system responding to a virus, and occurs when the facial nerve, especially the part inside the bony canal in the temporal bone, becomes swollen and there is not enough space on the inner nerve structures in Pressure enters the channel and stops its operation.
What are the symptoms of Bell's palsy?
Symptoms of Bell's palsy may develop one or two weeks after a cold, ear infection, or eye infection. These symptoms usually appear suddenly. You may notice them when you wake up in the morning or when you try to eat or drink something. Bell's palsy is characterized by a faded appearance on one side of the face and the inability to open or close the eye on the affected side. In rare cases, Bell's palsy may affect both sides of your face.
Other signs and symptoms of Bell's palsy include:
-Mouthwash
-Dry mouth
-Difficulty eating and drinking
-Inability to create facial expressions, such as smiling or frowning
-Weakness of the face
-Muscle cramps in the face
-Dry eyes
-Headache
-Sensitivity to sound
-Eye irritation on the relevant side
-Pain in the jaw or inside and outside the ear
-Decreased taste power
-And the deviation of the face towards the healthy!
See your doctor if you suspect these symptoms. You should never diagnose Bell's palsy yourself! These symptoms can be similar to other serious illnesses such as stroke or brain tumor.
What are the risk factors for Bell's palsy? You have a higher risk of developing Bell's palsy if you have the following:
- You are pregnant
- Have diabetes
- Have a lung infection
- You have a family history of this disease
Have other neurological symptoms along with facial paralysis, such as speech disorder, numbness or immobility of the limbs, etc.

How is Bell's palsy diagnosed?
Your doctor will perform a physical exam for the first time to measure the weakness of your facial muscles. Your doctor will also ask you about your symptoms in relation to "when those symptoms occurred or when you first noticed them." Your doctor can also use a variety of tests to diagnose Bell's palsy. These tests may include an MRI or CT scan to check the nerve pathway or to test facial nerve function and hearing tests.
Ways and methods of treatment:
Approximately 75% of patients with Bell or facial nerve palsy complete recovery within two weeks to six months. The remaining 20% ​​recover in less than a year. A small number of patients (less than 90%) may not fully recover after one year. There is no specific treatment for all types of the disease, however your doctor may recommend certain medications to speed up your recovery. Surgery is rarely performed on Bell's palsy or facial nerve, unless the cause of the paralysis is a specific infection or tumor, in which case it is no longer called Bell. The following will speed up recovery:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Adequate sleep and rest
- Taking the right medicine
- Protect your eyes from injury with artificial tear drops.
- Drink enough fluids.
Physiotherapy for paralyzed muscles is helpful in cases where the paralysis is prolonged. A physiotherapist will teach you how to massage your facial muscles and what exercises to do to prevent muscle wasting.
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