Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Published : June 3, 2014 2:45 PM IST
44-year-old Sunil was a successful man and was constantly busy. But one lazy Sunday afternoon, Sunil noticed that he was unable to completely close his left eye while taking a nap. With his eye burning he woke his wife and asked her to administer eye drops; unaware that the left side of his mouth was drooping as well. Unable to control the muscles of the left side of his face, Sunil was rushed to the hospital. This is where the doctor told him that he was suffering from Bell s Palsy a condition that causes the partial paralysis of the muscles of the face. According to Dr Arjun Srivatsa, renowned neurologist, Bell's palsy is a term used to describe the paralysis of the facial nerve resulting in weakness of one side of the face. It has nothing to do with a brain stroke but rather is a localised state of paralysis . So, to help you understand the disease better, here are all your questions answered on Bell s Palsy.
How and why does it happen?
Dr Arjun Srivatsa says, Bell s palsy is usually due to an inflammation of the facial nerve at the point where it exits the skull to enter the face therefore making the ear the most common area of infection. This inflammation could be due to a number of reasons including infection (usually viral) and due to the formation of a tumour. That being said, the onset of facial muscle weakness due to a tumour is usually gradual and not sudden as is commonly seen in the case of Bell s Palsy caused due to nerve inflammation.
Who is at risk of developing this condition?
Bell s palsy may affect men and women of any age but statistics suggest that the condition is more likely to strike those above the age of 40. According to Dr Srivatsa, diabetics and those people with a compromised immune system are at a greater risk of suffering from the condition. Read more about diabetes and its symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment.
What are the symptoms?
Dr Srivatsa says, The most common symptoms are sudden weakness of facial muscles, lack of sensation on the affected side of the face, sudden onset of a crooked smile, inability to close the eye on the affected side, drooling on the affected corner of the mouth and inability to raise the eyebrow on the affected side. Apart from that other symptoms could include inability to taste, pain behind the ear of the affect side, numbness on the same side and increased sensitivity to sound. Read more about paralysis.
How is the condition diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Bell s palsy is purely clinical; i.e the doctor will ask the patient about their symptoms and discern the onset of the condition. Says Dr Srivatsa. But once you are diagnosed with the condition your doctor may prescribe physical and neurological tests to find out where the inflammation has occurred and if it is Bell s palsy at all. Apart from that, if the reason for the onset of the disease is still unclear, your doctor will advise you to undergo an MRI, blood tests and in some cases a CT scan as well.
What are the treatment options one has for the condition?
The treatment is based on reducing the inflammation in the nerve and treating the cause of the infection. Dr Srivatsa says, As inflammation is usually the cause of the nerve swelling up, most doctors will prescribe anti-inflammatory medication with antibiotics. In some cases a patient may also be prescribed tablets containing steroids that have a high amount of anti-inflammatory properties. These steroidal tablets are then tapered off rapidly at the end of the treatment cycle. A patient will also be advised to use re-wetting eye drops to prevent the onset of dry eyes (since their eye lids will not be able to close completely causing dryness in the eyes.) and wear protective glasses to prevent damage to the eye ball due to foreign objects.
What is the prognosis of this condition?
Dr Srivatsa says, The prognosis varies depending on the severity of the condition and the time of the start of the treatment. The earlier the treatment is administered the better and quicker the recovery.
How can the onset of the condition be prevented?
The best way to prevent this condition is to keep one s immunity up and prevent any infections from happening. According to Dr Srivatsa, Since this condition is also brought on by sudden or prolonged exposure to cold (as it makes the area more prone to infections), avoiding extremely cold liquids (like soft drinks etc.) is an effective way to keep the condition at bay. Apart from that people should also avoid driving in cold weather since their face is exposed to cold winds. And finally they should use a scarf to protect their ears and face from the cold to help them stay safe from the condition.
Finally, the onset of Bell s Palsy can be extremely perplexing to the person affected and can cause a lot of worry to his/her family members. But the bright side is that this condition in most cases it resolves on its own or is treated with medication. In most cases it does not cause any permanent damage.
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