Facial Paralysis

Medical Service Name – Facial Paralysis

Facial paralysis is characterized by an inability to move the muscles of the face on one or both sides. Nerve injury from congenital (existing from birth) disorders, trauma, or diseases like stroke, brain tumor, or Bell’s palsy can cause facial paralysis.

The condition affects one or both sides of the face, causing drooping of the features and difficulties speaking, blinking, swallowing saliva, eating, or communicating through natural facial expressions.

Possible Causes

The following are some of the usual causes of facial paralysis:

• The facial nerve may be infected or inflamed.
• Trauma to the head
• Stroke 
• Head or neck tumor

Facial paralysis can strike suddenly (as in Bell’s palsy) or develop gradually over months (in the case of a head or neck tumor). The paralysis may last for a brief or extended length of time, depending on the reason.

Bell’s palsy is the most frequent cause of facial paralysis, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Bell’s palsy causes abrupt facial paralysis.

Nobody knows why Bell’s palsy develops. It may be caused by a viral infection of the facial nerve. The good news is that most patients with Bell’s palsy fully recover within six months.

Additional Causes of Facial Paralysis

Additional reasons for facial paralysis or weakness include:

• Middle ear infection and other ear damages
• Lyme disease, which is a bacterial infection spread by tick bites.
• Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord. 
• Guillain-Barré syndrome, which affects the nervous system.
• Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, a viral reactivation that affects the facial nerve. 

Some newborns may experience transient facial paralysis as a result of birth. 90% of newborns with this sort of damage, on the other hand, recover fully without therapy. Certain congenital disorders, such as Mobius syndrome, can cause facial paralysis at birth.

Risk Factors

Facial paralysis is more common in those who:

• Are pregnant, particularly in the third trimester, or are in the first week after giving birth
• Have an upper respiratory illness, such as the flu or a cold?
• Have diabetes

Recurrent Bell’s palsy episodes are uncommon. However, there is a family history of recurring episodes in some of these instances, indicating a hereditary susceptibility to Bell’s palsy.

Sign & Symptoms

The common symptoms of facial paralysis can be as follows:

• Facial paralysis on one or both sides of the face
• Loss of control on blinking on the afflicted side
• Reduced tearing 
• Drooping of the impacted side’s mouth
• Changed taste perception
• Speech disruption
• Sound hypersensitivity on the afflicted side 
• Discomfort in or behind the ear
• Changes in awareness
• Difficulty eating or drinking
• Confusion or dizziness
• Seizure 
• Alterations in eyesight
• Weakness in arms or legs in one side of the body

Diagnosis

Discuss all of your symptoms and any other ailments you may be suffering from with our doctor. Our specialist may advise you to try raising your brow, shutting your eye, smiling, and frowning to exercise your face muscles. 

Electromyography (a test that examines the condition of muscles and the nerves that govern them), imaging scans, and blood tests can all assist our doctors in determining the cause of paralysis.

Treatment Options at 7DMC

Facial reanimation surgery is another term for facial paralysis surgery. Our facial plastic surgeon can utilize all or sections of muscles, nerves, or both from other body regions to restore mobility to the lower half of the face.

People with Bell’s Palsy can be treated at our world-class facility with both therapy and medication. Physical therapy can also help you strengthen your muscles and avoid long-term impairment. Cosmetic surgery can help fix eyelids that won’t entirely shut or a crooked grin in people who don’t heal completely.

If you had a recent stroke, you could be a candidate for a specific stroke therapy to eliminate the clot that caused the stroke. If the stroke occurred too long ago, the doctor might prescribe medicines to minimize the chance of future brain damage.

Other causes of facial paralysis may benefit from surgery to repair or replace injured nerves or muscles, as well as tumor removal. Botox injections, which temporarily paralyze muscles, as well as physical therapy, may be beneficial.