Q: Hi Doctor, thank you for your good works. I need your professional insight for my wife who suddenly developed a medical condition called Bell’s Palsy 3 days ago.

A: Bell’s palsy (BP) is a rare condition that makes one side, usually, of a person’s face droop or become ‘frozen’ in appearance due to paralysis of nerves on the person’s face (facial nerve). This leads to weakness or paralysis of the muscles on that side of the face. Bell’s palsy may be mistaken for a stroke (which would also cause drooping of one side of the face.). However, these are two different ailments. Strokes are due to vessels bursting or getting blocked and in Bell’s palsy, full recovery is usually expected after about 2 to 3 months.
It is thought that inflammation of the facial nerve as it passes through the skull to the brain, due to a viral infection like chicken pox the virus that causes cold sores, Herpes Simplex, may be the cause. These viruses, even after one has recovered from them, do not go completely and can be re-activated months and years later, leading to Bell’s palsy. Other causes include being hit on the face, pregnancy, Diabetes, a bad cold, ear infections etc.

This palsy can also affect the production of saliva and tears and also affect taste. Thus, symptoms include:
• Drooping of, usually, one side of the face
• Inability to close eye on that side of the face
• Inability to taste food
• Excessive tearing or dry eyes
• Difficulty with chewing food on that side
• Hearing sounds louder in one ear

Most cases of BP recover even without treatment. Your doctor may prescribe some steroids to help reduce the inflammation. Eye patches and eye drops to lubricate the eye will be needed. Frequent brushing of the teeth and flossing are essential giving problems with chewing food and production of saliva. This is to prevent tooth decay. Physiotherapy may also help retrain facial muscles.

Finally, showing her lots of love will also not go amiss as she tries to make sense of this ‘weird’ illness she has 😀 Let’s continue the Valentine season for a while longer…indeed, why not forever?! 😉

Have a great week ahead, people 😀