What is bells palsy? Physiotherapy for bells palsy

Physiotherapy for bells palsy

Bell's palsy is a temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve, known as the seventh cranial nerve. This nerve controls facial expressions, eyelid movements, and the muscles of the forehead and neck.

Bell's palsy usually occurs suddenly, affecting a large part of one side of the face. Its cause is often unknown, but the condition has been linked to certain viruses such as herpes simplex and herpes zoster (shingles).

Risk factors for Bell's palsy include

 diabetes, pregnancy, and Lyme disease.

Statistics show that Bell's palsy affects one in 60 or 70 people.

After a sudden onset of Bell's palsy, most people develop maximum weakness within 48 hours. Before the onset, some people feel pain behind the ear.

While Bell's palsy may look similar to a stroke, no other neurological signs or symptoms are present.

How does Bell's Palsy affect the eyes?

Most people with Bell's palsy are unable to blink on the affected side of the face. Simultaneously, the lower eyelid may turn outward (ectropion). The face and lips on the affected side hang down, and you lose or have little or no control over their muscle function.

Because the muscles that open the eye are controlled by a separate cranial nerve, you can easily open the affected eye. But you can't close the eyelid.

As a result, most people with Bell's palsy suffer from an extreme form of dry eye syndrome known as exposure keratitis.

Bell's Palsy Treatment and Recovery

Treatment for Bell's palsy usually involves the use of plenty of ocular lubricants, such as nonprescription artificial tears and eye ointments. Many people have to patch or tape the eyelid to keep it moist while sleeping.

If your eyelid turns outward, you may need surgery to fix it.

About 80 percent of people with Bell's palsy recover within six months. But without proper care of the involved eye, you may suffer unnecessary and permanent consequences such as corneal ulceration and scarring of the clear front surface of your eye.

some common symptoms

What is the main cause of Bell's Palsy?

Bell's palsy is believed to happen when the nerves that control the muscles in your face become compressed. The exact cause is unknown, although it is thought to be because the facial nerve becomes swollen, possibly due to a viral infection. Although the herpes virus is thought to be the most common cause, other viruses may also be responsible.

Some of the conditions that are known to be related are:

•  brain tumors,
• ear infection,
• extreme cold,
• herpes zoster infection,
• mumps etc.

What is the best treatment for Bell's Palsy?

When you experience weakness in the face, visit your doctor/neurologist immediately. Treatment for Bell's palsy may include one or several of the following:

Medication: To reduce inflammation of the facial nerve and antiviral (if it is related to herpes/herpes infection) is usually the first direction of treatment. Steroids have been found to be effective.

Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy treatment for Bell's palsy may include facial massage, exercises, acupuncture and electrical stimulation.

Surgery: The third line of treatment is surgical intervention, which should be the last option in most cases when all else fails to help.

How long does it take for Bell's Palsy to heal?

The extent of nerve damage determines the extent of recovery. Improvement is gradual and recovery time varies. Most people with Bell's palsy will make a full recovery within nine months. There may be ways to speed up the process and reduce the chance of complications. However, if you have not recovered by this time, there is a risk of more extensive nerve damage and further treatment may be needed.

Can Bell's Palsy be cured on its own?

Even without treatment, more than 80 percent of people with Bell's palsy recover within three weeks. An early sign of improvement is often a return of taste. Some studies show that treatment can shorten the duration of Bell's palsy and improve symptoms. Physiotherapy2 has been used for faster recovery. These include facial exercises, affected muscles, acupuncture, thermotherapy and electrical stimulation.

PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR BELLS PALSY

Physiotherapy has been shown to be successful in a large number of Bell's palsy cases.

 

Physiotherapy includes muscle re-education exercises and soft tissue techniques to prevent permanent contractions of the paralyzed facial muscles.

It helps to maintain the tone of the affected facial muscles and stimulates the facial nerve using galvanic/Faradic electrical stimulation.

Physiotherapy is also helpful in reducing the pain with the use of various pain relief methods.

What can be done at home to treat Bell's Palsy?

Here are some tips for home management of Bell's palsy:

You should be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip.

Check that your cheeks and gums are free from eating after eating.

Try to use both sides of your mouth to chew the food to encourage the muscles of the affected side to work.

Moist heat: Many people find that a warm cloth can help relieve pain and discomfort. Repeat the warm compress whenever the pain recurs, or you need to rest.

Sometimes your speech may get affected. You may be able to cover your mouth with your hand a little extra helping as you talk.

If the muscles around your eye are affected, you should take special care to remove dust from your eye. You can simulate blinking by gently closing your eye with your fingers.

Glasses can be useful to protect against dust mites when you are outside.

You may need artificial tears/eye medicine to clean the eye.

What are the early symptoms of Bell's Palsy?

Symptoms of Bell's palsy vary from person to person. Weakness on one side of the face can be described as:

partial paralysis, which is mild muscle weakness

complete palsy, in which there is no movement at all (paralysis) - although this is very rare

Some other symptoms of Bell's palsy include:

eyelid and mouth, it becomes difficult to close and open

Paralysis of one side of the face, inability to close the eye on the affected side, loss of whistling, frown, lip protrusion. In other words, "loss of expression"

Loss of sensation in the anterior 2/3rd of the tongue.

excessive lacrimation (tears)

When the patient tries to close his eyes, the eyeball moves up and outwards. This is called the Bell's Phenomenon.

Some people also experience moderate tingling to the face, pain, severe headache, memory and balance issues.

In rare cases, it can affect both sides of a person's face.

Who can get Bell's Palsy?

Bell's palsy is a rare condition that affects one in 5,000 people per year. It is most common in people aged 15–60 years, with the highest incidence occurring in children aged 15–44. But people in this age group can also suffer from this condition. men and women alike are affected. Bell's palsy is more common in pregnant women and people with diabetes and HIV, for reasons that are not yet fully understood. Yes! Babies may be born with facial palsy but the condition is more common in adults.

Is Bell's Palsy Contagious?

Bell's palsy is not a contagious condition. Keep in mind, however, that many causes of Bell's palsy are contagious, and can be passed on to others, increasing the likelihood of Bell's palsy