Facial palsy

A trip to the hospital is always a humbling experience and also one that makes  one feel blessed. Especially if you visit a non-profit or govt. org. There are just so many people with both hands or both legs screwed up, people who dont even have slippers and are still smiling... So how does this lessen anyone else's pain? It doesn't. But it does fill you up with gratitude for all that you have. All the needs that are met and all the wants that can be met but don't really seem to matter. 

Coming back to facial palsy, the topic of this entry, the disease is the latest discovery of this hypochondriac. The man before me in the long queue was on d brink of it perhaps and I listened more intently to his diagnosis  than mine. I am not a hypochondriac in the negative sense of the word. If there is anything such as a positive hypochondriac, I am certainly that. By claiming to be one I mean that the moment I come to know of a new disease, I go on high alert and clamour to obtain as much info about it in order to avoid the disease. After all, prevention is better than cure.  So here's the low down on facial palsy aka bell's palsy:

WHAT IS BELL'S PALSY?
Bells palsy is a condition that causes the facial muscles to weaken or become paralyzed. It's caused by trauma to the 7th cranial nerve, and is not permanent.

WHAT CONDITIONS CAN INCREASE THE CHANCE OF HAVING BELL'S PALSY?
Older people are more likely to be afflicted, but children are not immune to it. Children tend to recover well. Diabetics are more than 4 times more likely to develop Bells palsy than the general population. The last trimester of pregnancy is considered to be a time of increased risk for Bell's palsy. Conditions that compromise the immune system such as HIV or sarcoidosis increase the odds of facial paralysis occurring and recurring.

CAN BELL'S PALSY AFFECT BOTH SIDES OF THE FACE?
It is possible to have bilateral Bells palsy, but it's rare, accounting for less than 1% of cases. With bilateral facial palsy, it's important to rule out all other possible diagnoses with thorough diagnostic tests.

HOW DO THE SYMPTOMS OF BELL'S PALSY PROGRESS?
Very quickly. Most people either wake up to find they have Bells palsy, or have symptoms such as a dry eye or tingling around their lips that progress to classic Bell's palsy during that same day. Occasionally symptoms may take a few days to be recognizable as Bells palsy. The degree of paralysis should peak within several days of onset - never in longer than 2 weeks (3 weeks maximum for Ramsey Hunt syndrome). A warning sign may be neck pain, or pain in or behind the ear prior to palsy, but it is not usually recognized in first-time cases.

WHAT ABOUT RECOVERY FROM BELL'S PALSY?
Approximately 50% of Bells palsy patients will have essentially complete recoveries in a short time. Another 35% will have good recoveries in less than a year.

Regardless of the trigger, Bell's palsy is best described as an event - trauma to the nerve. As with any other injury, healing follows. The quality and duration of recovery is dependent on the severity of the initial injury. If the nerve has suffered nothing more than a mild trauma, recovery can be very fast, taking several days to several weeks. An "average" recovery is likely to take between a few weeks and a few months. The nerve regenerates at a rate of approximately 1-2 millimeters per day, and can continue to regenerate for 18 months, probably even longer. Improvement of appearance can continue beyond that time frame.


Seems am safe for now :)