What is best treatment for Bell's palsy?

Commonly used medications to treat Bell's palsy include: Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. If they can reduce the swelling of the facial nerve, it will fit more comfortably within the bony corridor that surrounds it.

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Consequently, what is the fastest way to get rid of Bell's palsy?

1. Steroids to reduce inflammation.
2. Antiviral medicine, such as acyclovir.
3. Analgesics or moist heat to relieve pain.
4. Physical therapy to stimulate the facial nerve.

Also Know, what triggers Bell's palsy? Bell's palsy occurs when the seventh cranial nerve becomes swollen or compressed, resulting in facial weakness or paralysis. The exact cause of this damage is unknown, but many medical researchers believe it's most likely triggered by a viral infection. herpes zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles.

Secondly, how long does it take for Bell's palsy to go away?

With or without treatment, most individuals begin to get better within 2 weeks after the initial onset of symptoms and most recover completely, returning to normal function within 3 to 6 months. For some, however, the symptoms may last longer. In a few cases, the symptoms may never completely disappear.

What are the signs of recovery from Bell palsy?

Facial weakness and drooping reach their peak within a day or two. Most people start to feel better in a couple of weeks. Full recovery can take 3 months, though it can take longer for some people. Rarely, symptoms of Bell's palsy can be permanent.

Related Question Answers

What happens if Bell's palsy is untreated?

“The results of this study are shocking, because previous studies have shown that about a third of untreated Bell's palsy patients will suffer long-term problems including facial disfigurement, facial spasms and chronic pain. “The psychological and social challenges resulting from facial palsy can be considerable.

Is Bell's palsy a stroke?

Bell's palsy is a temporary paralysis of the facial muscles, causing drooping and weakness on one side of the face, and is sometimes mistaken for a stroke. “Because Bell's palsy affects a single nerve, the facial nerve, its symptoms mimic those of a stroke.”

What should I eat if I have Bell's palsy?

Avoid hard, chewy foods as these can be difficult to prepare and choose a soft easy chew diet (such as pasta dishes, fish, well cooked meats and vegetables). Try smaller mouthfuls as these are easier to control and less likely to spill from your mouth.

Where do you massage for Bell's palsy?

Forehead: Massage the upper part of your face by placing your fingers above your eyebrow and firmly massage upward to your hairline, using one fluid motion. Reverse the motion and bring your fingers back down to your eyebrows. Repeat this several times a day.

Can you go to work with Bell's palsy?

Some episodes of facial palsy last for weeks or months. The recovery from facial palsy can be slow and some people never fully recover. However, many people who have facial palsy are able to successfully return to work and fulfill their potential.

What vitamins are good for Bell's palsy?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nerve degeneration, and both oral and injected vitamin B12 have been used to treat many types of nerve disorders. One older case report described successful treatment of chronic Bell's palsy with vitamin B12 injections of 500 to 1,000 mcg given every one to two days.

Is Bell's palsy dangerous?

But, Bell's palsy has also been associated with headaches, chronic middle ear infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, tumors, and Lyme disease, among other things, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Does stress cause Bell's palsy?

Medical experts believe that stress weakens the immune system and damages the seventh cranial nerve (or the facial nerve) which causes facial paralysis. The condition causes one side of your face to droop or become stiff. A Bell's Palsy patient will face trouble in smiling or closing the eye on the affected side.

How can I treat Bell's palsy at home?

Home treatment may include:

1. Protecting the eye you can't close. Using lubricating eyedrops during the day and an eye ointment at night will help keep your eye moist.
2. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
3. Doing your physical therapy exercises.

Can Bell's Palsy come back?

For most people, Bell's palsy is temporary. Symptoms usually start to improve within a few weeks, with complete recovery in about six months. A small number of people continue to have some Bell's palsy symptoms for life. Rarely, Bell's palsy can recur.

What are the long term effects of Bell's palsy?

Approximately 30% of patients, however, experience long-term symptoms following the paralysis, and approximately 5% are left with an unacceptably high degree of sequelae. Bell palsy sequelae include incomplete motor regeneration, incomplete sensory regeneration, and aberrant reinnervation of the facial nerve.

Where is the seventh cranial nerve?

Facial nerve. The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve, or simply CN VII. It emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.

Is Bell's palsy genetic?

The exact cause of Bell's palsy is not known. Viral and immune disorders are often implicated as a cause for this disorder. There may also be an inherited tendency toward developing Bell's palsy. Symptoms develop due to deficiency of blood supply and pressure on the 7th cranial nerve as a result of nerve swelling.

Can Bell's palsy cause memory?

Although defined as a mononeuritis (involving only one nerve), people diagnosed with Bell's palsy may have "myriad neurological symptoms" including "facial tingling, moderate or severe headache/neck pain, memory problems, balance problems, ipsilateral limb paresthesias, ipsilateral limb weakness, and a sense of

Can you blink with Bell's palsy?

Blinking is imperative to protect the eye against corneal drying and damage. Patients with Bell's palsy, a form of unilateral facial nerve palsy, characteristically have unilateral peripheral facial weakness and are unable to blink on the palsied side.

Is Bell's palsy contagious?

Bell's Palsy Is Not Contagious. Although Bell's palsy is not contagious, the illnesses that are thought to cause it can be. Some of these illnesses include the common cold, herpes simplex 1 (cold sores), and viral meningitis.

Can diabetes cause Bells Palsy?

Bell's palsy is one of the complication of diabetes i.e. diabetic neuropathy which can also result in mononeuropathy. In this case, facial nerve has got damaged due to the uncontrolled diabetes which also resulted in diabetic ketoacidosis and resulted in Bell's palsy.

What is the difference between facial palsy and Bell's palsy?

Essentially, Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion. If none of the known causes can be confirmed, then the facial palsy is considered idiopathic, i.e. “from unclear or undetermined causes”. In other words, if the causes of your facial palsy cannot be determined and confirmed, the diagnosis will be “Bell's palsy”.

Is Bell's palsy a neurological disorder?

Bell palsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders affecting the cranial nerves, and it is the most common cause of facial paralysis worldwide. It is thought to account for approximately 60–75% of cases of acute unilateral facial paralysis.