Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 6221 Location: London, England
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What Could Be Wrong? Posted: 03-20-07 04:07am
For the last few days my mums left hand
side of her mouth has been gradually
drooping down. at first she showed me that
when she smiles she can't raise that side
fully.
on mothers day (sunday) she said that her
left hand side of her mouth was now
completely numb and feltlike when you're
given an injection at the dentists.
yesterday when she came round i noticed
her speech was lisping and the drooping
was obvious even when she was still.
now this morning she has just rang me up
to say that it is much worse so she is
going to the drop-in clinic at the
doctors.
i'm soooooooooooo worried about her. it's
getting worse by the day
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Jules
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Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3744 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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Posted: 03-20-07 04:17am
It could be .Bell's palsy, I'll google it
for you...
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Jules
Moderator
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3744 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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.
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.
IS BELL'S PALSY CONTAGIOUS?
No, it is not contagious. People with
Bells palsy can return to work and resume
normal activity as soon as they feel up to
it.
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.
IS BELL'S PALSY LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN?
The possibility of recurrence had been
thought to be as high as 10 - 20%. These
figures have been lowered as more has been
learned about conditions that are now
diagnosed as other types of facial
palsies. Estimates of the rate of
recurrence still vary widely, from around
4 - 14%. Most recent reports hover at 5 -
9%. The average timespan between
recurrences is 10 years
Last edited by Jules on 03-20-07 04:22am; edited 1 time in total
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Jules
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Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3744 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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Posted: 03-20-07 04:20am
Bit more...
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
The symptoms of Bell's palsy usually show
up about 1 to 2 weeks after a viral
infection. The symptoms tend to come on
quickly - usually Bell's palsy reaches its
worst point within 48 hours. A few hours
or days before Bell's palsy develops
fully, some people may have a headache or
feel pain behind or in front of their
ears. A person may notice one side of his
or her face droops or feels stiff. Some
people may only notice a slight weakness,
whereas others may not be able to move
that side of their face at all.
Other symptoms of Bell's palsy include:
difficulty closing one eye all the way
dryness in one eye
trouble tasting at the front of the tongue
on the affected side
changes in the amount of saliva or
drooling
hearing sounds that seem louder than usual
in one ear
Bell's palsy affects only the face, so if
a person has weakness or symptoms in other
parts of the body, the problem has another
cause.
How Is It Diagnosed?
If you have any of the symptoms of Bell's
palsy, you should see a doctor as soon as
possible.
The doctor will take a detailed medical
history and perform a thorough exam to
eliminate other possible causes of your
symptoms. The doctor will want to know
over what period of time your symptoms
developed, if you had any preceding
illness or trauma, and if you are noticing
any other problems such as weakness or
paralysis in other parts of your body.
Tell the doctor if you are having problems
like double vision or trouble swallowing
or if you recently injured your face or
head. Because more serious conditions than
Bell's palsy, such as an injury, can cause
facial paralysis, it's important to report
any other problems you may be noticing.
There isn't a specific test for Bell's
palsy, although a doctor may test for Lyme
disease, herpes virus (HSV), or other
infection. Some infections, like Lyme, can
be treated, but in most cases the virus
that may have caused Bell's palsy in the
first place has usually passed.
If the doctor suspects some other cause
for a person's symptoms, he or she may use
imaging tests, such as X-rays, computed
tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), to look inside
the body and check for other problems.
Some doctors may recommend an
electromyography (EMG), which tests how
well the muscles respond to nerve
signals.
How Is It Treated?
For the symptoms of Bell's palsy to
improve, the nerve needs to renew itself,
and that can only happen with time.
However, some doctors may prescribe
medicine to reduce inflammation. If a
person with Bell's palsy is unable to
close one eye completely, the doctor may
prescribe eyedrops, an eye patch, and
protective glasses to make a person feel
more comfortable and to prevent damage to
the cornea.
Although it can seem frightening at first,
most people with Bell's palsy recover
fully within 1 to 3 months. A few people
are left with some permanent facial
weakness after recovering from Bell's
palsy, though.
Taking Care of Yourself
It's important to eat well and get lots of
sleep when you have Bell's palsy. Good
nutrition and rest will help your body as
it heals itself.
One of the hardest things about having
Bell's palsy can be dealing with the
emotions that go with it. To begin with,
Bell's palsy can be just plain scary. And
because Bell's palsy affects how your face
looks for a while, you may feel
self-conscious or embarrassed in public.
Even your close friends may tease you in
what they think is a good-natured way, but
if it feels hurtful to you, tell them. Let
people know why your face looks the way it
does. Bell's palsy isn't contagious, so no
one can catch it from you, and nothing you
or anyone else did caused it to happen.
Dealing with a condition like Bell's palsy
often helps you find out who your friends
really are. Rely on the people you know
can offer you the best support - your
closest friend, family, or a school
counselor, for example. Within a couple of
months, you should be back to your old
self.
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Jules
Moderator
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3744 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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Posted: 03-20-07 04:21am
Sorry that's a lot of info but I hope it
helps...
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Kia
Supporter
Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 6594 Location: Planet Tampaxia,
Posted: 03-20-07 04:27am
Bell's Palsy was my first thought but in
all honesty it sounds like a mini stroke.
Either way she needs to see her doctor
asap.
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Becky
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Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 6221 Location: London, England
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Posted: 03-20-07 04:36am
thanks girls. she is going to the doctors
this morning. she doesn't have dry eyes.
her left eyes (same side as drooping
mouth) has been watering non stop for the
last few months....
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Becky
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Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 6221 Location: London, England
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Posted: 03-20-07 06:49am
you girls were right! that is what she's
got bells palsy. they told her she has it
because fo the chicken pox virus
(Courtneys best friend had chicken pox)
they said it might takea few months to
sort itself out though
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Jules
Moderator
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3744 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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Posted: 03-20-07 06:53am
Heh heh - just call me .Dr .Jules
Hope it sorts itself out soon
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Kia
Supporter
Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 6594 Location: Planet Tampaxia,
Posted: 03-20-07 08:11am
one of the commentators on wwe wrestling,
jim ross, has bells palsy.
I think Jules, has given you loads of
great info there, becks.
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Willa Weintraub
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Posted: 03-20-07 08:18am
Kia
wrote:
Bell's Palsy was my first
thought but in all honesty it sounds like a
mini
stroke.
that was my first
thought because my nana was like that
after she had a stroke.
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AyaMiyaki
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Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8225 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
