Bell’s Palsy is a condition in which a person is paralyzed on one side of the face. It is not a serious condition, but it is very annoying. It is also a bit scary. The facial paralysis suddenly occurs on one side of the muscles of the face and can take 3 to 6 months before it goes away.
Contents
- Bell palsy
- Symptoms
- Is this condition common?
- Therapy
- Bell’s palsy for the second time
Bell palsy
People who suffer from Bell’s Palsy have paralysis on one side of the face. This is due to a damaged nerve in the muscles in the face. Because the nerve has become swollen, it has become trapped and paralysis has occurred. What is often (but not for everyone) the cause of Bell’s palsy is a middle ear infection. Sir Charles Bell was the first man to describe this condition. The disease is therefore also derived from its name.
Symptoms
- Sagging corner of mouth
- Muscle weakness in the face
- Sagging eye
- Change of taste
- Less tears
- Change in hearing
- Every movement in the face disfigured
- Loss of sensation in tongue/throat
- Numbness on the back of the head
- Earache
| Complaint | How often does it happen? |
| Change in tongue/throat sensation | 80% |
| Pain in the ear | 60% |
| Taste change | 57% |
| Change in hearing | 30% |
| Sensation diminishing behind the head | 20% |
| Weakened muscles | 23% |
| Less tears | 17% |
Is this condition common?
There are hundreds of people every year who get Bell’s Palsy. This is approximately 1 in 5000 people per year. Most people who get it are between the ages of 15 and 45. Fortunately, it is not a condition that is dangerous. The worst that could happen is that the eye becomes irritated because it cannot close properly due to the paralysis. The irritation is caused by, for example, dust entering the eye or dirt from the air.
Therapy
If you have had the symptoms for about 3 days, go to your doctor. This can very easily investigate whether it is Bell’s palsy. Your doctor will probably give you a short course of steroid tablets. During recovery you could wear a cloth around the eye so that no dirt can get into the eye. It is important to irrigate the eye with eye drops a few times a day. Fortunately, most people who have suffered from the disease recover quickly and completely. Even if they hadn’t been there early. It is of course also possible that the recovery has not been completely complete. An operation can be performed to almost completely restore the face.
Bell’s palsy for the second time
It is possible that if you have had Bell’s Palsy before, you may get it again. This time it will not be more severe, nor does it have to occur on the same side of the face. However, it will have to be looked at again by your doctor.