Bell's Palsy
All of what you might think and opine flies out the window when confronted with a mask you are no longer able to hide behind - Jonathan FitzGordon
image by: Facial Paralysis & Bell's Palsy Foundation
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I Am Not This Body: Living with Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s Palsy is no fun.
Two years ago today I woke up to find that only the right side of my face was working. The left side of my mouth hung down towards my chin and went nowhere when I attempted to smile. I realized that my left eye wouldn’t fully close when I washed my face and got soap in my eye. It wasn’t completely a surprise as the symptoms had been oddly present for a week though I didn’t know that they would add up to this...
That night when I got home I had the first of what are best described as ice pick headaches. I would be sitting or standing when a blinding pain would shoot into the left side of my skull—enough to make me grab my head and wince in pain.
Google…
Resources
Bell's palsy: cancel the code stroke?
A large Cochrane review from 2019 stated that acyclovir was not warranted and did not change recovery compared to steroids alone in all degrees of severity. The debate likely rages on in the neurology world, but the key is to understand that steroids are the most important part of treatment.
Bell’s Palsy: Pearls and Pitfalls in Evaluation and Management
The exact etiology of BP is controversial; reactivated herpes simplex virus is thought to be the most probable cause followed by herpes zoster virus. The risk of developing BP increases threefold during pregnancy, especially the third trimester, which is thought to occur due to swelling of the facial nerve.
Bell's palsy: Causes, symptoms and treatment
After the abrupt onset of Bell's palsy, most people develop maximum weakness within 48 hours. Prior to the onset, some people feel pain behind the ear. While Bell's palsy may appear similar to a stroke, no other neurological signs or symptoms are present.
Bells Palsy And Stress Almost Cost Me My Face
The truth is, if we abuse ourselves with too much work and too little play, our body is eventually going to fight back and the results can be terrible. So, if like me, you find yourself stressed more often than not, I encourage you to take a walk, call a friend, have a glass of wine, a bubble bath, or a long lunch.
Bell’s Palsy Facial Exercises
While there is no high quality evidence to support significant benefit or harm from any physical therapy for idiopathic facial paralysis, there is some evidence that tailored facial exercises can help to improve facial function, mainly for people with moderate paralysis and chronic cases. There is also some evidence that facial exercises reduce sequelae in acute cases.
How Bell's Palsy, Breaking Bad, and Baby Number Three Saved My Marriage
I returned late the next night and we exchanged courtesies and went about covering the business of the night. It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed that I noticed he looked a bit different. His eyes were bloodshot and there was something about his face that just seemed off...
Story of my Bell's Palsy
Something happened on February 1st this year that made me want to start blogging again.....Bell's Palsy. I just thought I would share with you my experiences and if you are reading this you probably got hit with Bell's Palsy and like me cannot stop googling about it to make sense of it all.
What Having Bells Palsy Taught Me About Faults
As for my Bells Palsy, I’m feeling lucky. I’m almost back to normal (well, if you call me normal). It is 3 weeks later and my face is about 80-90% back to normal, almost like a never had it. It is another reminder that many of our faults are temporary and can be corrected. So move forward, correct what you can, and focus on the positives and your strengths.
I Am Not This Body: Living with Bell’s Palsy
The early days were surreal. Between people gasping at the sight of me to people ignoring what they were looking at, I was beyond self-conscious. And would have liked to crawl into a hole. Instead I had to teach publicly and continue working. What is one to do?
A Case of Bell's Palsy
This blog covers my experience of Bell's Palsy from the morning I woke up with half a face until the paralysis lifts, whenever that may be. Since learning I have Bell's Palsy, I've discovered lots of information on the internet, but most of it says exactly the same thing. I decided that I will blog the entire experience of Bell's Palsy from Day 1 through the end of it, whenever that may be. I can only hope that this blog will help someone else deal with this experience.
Bell's Palsy? Seriously?
First of all I want to thank all of you who have visited my humble blog and hope that you continue to do so. Please feel free to leave a comment because they really make my day! I am really enjoying writing and want to continue to make improvements, so your feedback really helps. Anywho…It occurred to me last night, as I mentally concocted a new post in my head, that some of you may not know exactly what Bell’s palsy is. I really don’t intend for this to be the best information site on the subject, so I thought I could sum it up in my own way.
Bells Palsy Information Website
The Bell's Palsy Information Site is a comprehensive, up-to-date source of facial paralysis information. While Bell's palsy is the primary focus, it includes information that applies to facial palsy regardless of what precipitated the condition.
Bells Palsy/Lyme Disease
Most people recover within 2-4 weeks, at three weeks I was just starting to get a tiny hit of movement in my lip. When I would see people and children looked at my face with shock and I would always explain what happened. Men that had known me cried, and I couldn't understand why (not much for self-esteem).
Bell’s Palsy UK
The main aims of the Bell’s Palsy Association is to provide information about the condition to the sufferer and their families. We can also provide a supply of printed material to medical practitioners so that they may pass this information on to newly diagnosed patients.
Facial Paralysis & Bell’s Palsy Foundation
The Facial Paralysis & Bell’s Palsy Foundation was founded in 2009, with the goal to provide support, encouragement, and resources to individuals and families dealing with facial paralysis and Bell’s Palsy. We are also dedicated to raising awareness of facial paralysis concerns within the medical community, and in society at large.
Bells Palsy
I will write occasionally about my experiences here to record what occurs so if others want to know about or experience this condition they can reference it.
Bells Palsy Daily Diary
The Doctor calls me in. I remember her having an amazing bedside manner (it's weird what you remember in strange situations). She makes me try to whistle, fill my cheeks with air, raise my eyebrows. She confirms I have Bells Palsy and the diagnosis is done.
Frozen: A Bell's Palsy Diary
My journey to getting my face back...
Jane's Bells Palsy Diary ~ July-August 2008
My Bells palsy symptoms, treatments, raw food, experiments, and success along the way. How I kicked a "dense case of Bell's palsy" in a just a few weeks with the standard prescribed medicines, additional supplements, and a raw food diet.
My Bell's Palsy
Although the care I received during my 3+ days in hospital was excellent, the information I was given during my stay and on discharge was patchy at best. I wanted to provide a real time record of my progress to hopefully a complete recovery that could be useful for other sufferers and friends & family of sufferers to help them understand and deal with the condition.
My days with Bell's Palsy
I decided to start a blog to document my experience with Bell's Palsy. I figure since I Facebook, Tweet, and post about everything else going on in my life... why not this? Maybe sharing my story will inspire others dealing with this condition to do the same.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Bell's palsy is named for Sir Charles Bell, a 19th century Scottish surgeon who was the first to describe the condition. The disorder, which is not related to stroke, is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Generally, Bell's palsy affects only one of the paired facial nerves and one side of the face, however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides.
American Academy of Ophthalmology
People with Bell's palsy need to take special care of their affected eye to prevent discomfort and complications from severe dry eye and possibly a scratched cornea (clear covering of the eye). The most common treatment usually includes using lubricating eye drops or artificial tears during the day, and an ointment at night, to keep the eye moist. On occasion, the eye will be patched...
ENT Health
Though the condition is uncommon, it is the most common facial nerve disorder. Bells palsy affects both men and women across a wide range of ages. You are at increased risk for Bell's if you are pregnant, have severe preeclampsia, are obese, have high blood pressure, diabetes, or upper respiratory ailments.
KidsHealth
Bell's palsy is most often connected with a viral infection such as herpes (the virus that causes cold sores), Epstein-Barr (the virus that causes mono), or influenza (the flu)...But in a few people, the immune system's response to a viral infection leads to inflammation of the nerve. Because it's swollen, the nerve gets compressed as it passes through a small hole at the base of the skull, which causes the symptoms of Bell's palsy.
MayoClinic
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.
MedicineNet
While a number of different conditions can cause damage to the facial nerve, including tumors, trauma, toxins, and neurologic diseases, true Bell's palsy is an idiopathic (meaning that the cause is unknown) paralysis of the facial nerve. It typically occurs on one side of the face and comes on suddenly, sometimes overnight.
MedlinePlus
Scientists think that a viral infection makes the facial nerve swell or become inflamed. You are most likely to get Bell's palsy if you are pregnant, diabetic or sick with a cold or flu. Three out of four patients improve without treatment. With or without treatment, most people begin to get better within 2 weeks and recover completely within 3 to 6 months.
NHS
Bell's palsy is a rare condition that affects about one in 5,000 people a year. It's most common in people aged 15-60, but people outside this age group can also suffer from the condition. Both men and women are affected equally. Bell's palsy is more common in pregnant women and those with diabetes and HIV, for reasons that are not yet fully understood.
Patient
Bell's palsy is a weakness of the facial muscles. It develops suddenly, usually on one side of the face. The cause is not clear but most cases are probably due to a viral infection. Most people make a full recovery within 2-3 months. A course of steroid tablets started within 72 hours of the onset improves the chance of full recovery even further.
PatientsLikeMe
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