What is Facial Paralysis?
7.the muscles in each half of our face originate from the same side of the brain stem and then from the head nerves that rise to the surface behind the ear.
the nerve is known to work with the facial nerve (facial nerve). The facial nerve also has the salivary gland, tear gland, and thin branches leading to the anterior part of the tongue (sense of taste). Facial paralysis (Bells Palsy) is a temporary facial weakness caused by damage to the said nerve due to infection (Herpes), trauma, etc.
Decreased Body Resistance can Cause Facial Paralysis!
Many of us have heard from our elders that cold weather, exposure to wind, walking around with wet hair can lead to facial paralysis. Although these beliefs among the public are not entirely true, they do have their share of reality. Because of the causes of facial paralysis due to cold reduced body resistance has an important place.
What Are The Symptoms of Facial Paralysis?
The most common symptoms are:
- Speech,
- Blinking,
- It is a feeling of slipping in half of the face (especially around the lips) due to the difficulty in eating and drinking, as well as the inability of the facial muscles to work naturally.
In addition, due to the dryness of the affected side of the affected eye, the decrease in the affected eyelid, and the constant tear problem, the tears in the eye do not fully spread to the eye.
Some patients have a strange and unpleasant taste, such as a metallic taste. Because a branch of the facial nerve is also responsible for the sense of taste.
How Does Facial Paralysis Develop?
It happens very quickly. Most patients wake up in the morning, face in front of the mirror and they realize that their face is slipping and they think they have a stroke, or in the same day, the eyes are burning, tingling around the lip, or the complaints of water in the mouth when drinking water with the disease is noticed.
Most of the time it takes a few days for the table to become clear and clear (usually a week – 10 days). Pain in the back of the ear or neck area is a leading warning, but because it is ignored by most patients, there is no chance of an early diagnosis.
What Are The Conditions That Increase The Likelihood of Developing The Disease?
Age is an important factor, for example, the incidence of children is much less, but spontaneous recovery is so much. Some metabolic diseases, for example, the risk of developing diabetes is 4 times higher than the general population.
The last three months of pregnancy are considered a period to be considered for facial palsy. The disease that causes the disorder of the immune system also creates another risk group.
The decrease in body resistance makes it easier to catch the disease, for example, infections that may occur due to a decrease in body resistance due to cold, fatigue, insomnia, malnutrition and, of course, most importantly, stress.
What is The Incidence of Facial Paralysis?
According to worldwide statistics, the frequency is around 02% (two thousand).
Does Sex Matter in Terms of Disease?
No, the probability of facial paralysis is equal in men and women.
Does Facial Paralysis Affect Other Parts of The Body?
No, facial paralysis does not occur in any other part of the body, such as paralysis, weakness or numbness, if it occurs, another disease should be considered, should be investigated.
Is The Disease Contagious?
No, it’s not contagious. People with the disease can continue their work and normal activities.
How are They Treated?
The diagnosis of facial palsy is usually made from the patient’s clinic, but if other diseases that may cause facial palsy are suspected on the ground, laboratory or imaging tests are performed.
How is The Recovery Rate?
The healing process is directly proportional to the destruction of the facial nerve. In mild traumas, recovery is very fast and takes only a few days.
In severe cases, this period may be several months long. When we calculate the repair of the damaged nerve at an average rate of 1-2 mm / day, we can expect recovery in a period of 15 days to 18 months.
Does Facial Muscles Melt?
This is not seen except in rare cases, since the time required for novelization is much longer than for nerve healing.
Is it Repetitive?
The probability of recurrence of facial palsy is around 5 to 15%, depending on the underlying diseases and risk factors.
How is The Treatment Done?
The disease usually resolves spontaneously without any medical or surgical treatment. To speed up the treatment process, it is recommended to massage with facial muscle exercises. The head and neck area should be kept warm and protected in cold weather.
Since the eyes do not close completely during the disease, artificial tears and antibiotics should be applied.
An eye patch should be used during sleep and should be protected from infection and physical trauma. In more severe cases, steroid and antiviral drugs are used. In more severe cases, steroids and antiviral drugs are used.
However, my personal opinion is that the patient should be supported morally, informed and not neglected during the treatment process.
In rare severe cases, if the healing process does not start after the 3rd week, the function of the facial nerve is measured with the EMG test. And if no message is detected, surgery is planned.
