Is there any treatment for bell’s palsy?

Bell’s palsy is a temporary facial paralysis that can strike suddenly and leave sufferers feeling completely helpless. Although the condition usually resolves itself within six to 12 months, there are various treatments available that can help speed up the recovery process and alleviate some of the symptoms.

In this article, we’ll explore some of these treatment options in more depth so you can take control of your recovery with confidence.

Understanding Bell’s Palsy

Before delving into the specifics of how to treat Bell’s palsy, it’s important to understand what causes it (because no one likes treating something they know nothing about).

Bell’s palsy usually occurs due to inflammation or swelling along a certain nerve pathway- the seventh cranial nerve which runs through a narrow bone corridor in your face called an “internal acoustic meatus.” That inflammation makes it hard for signals from the brain to reach their destination muscles correctly, effectively resulting in partial or total paralysis on one side of your face.

This condition typically appears initially as drooping eyelid/eyebrow (not just because you got carded at an R-rated movie but…with extra unwillingness), broad smile (‘passing out some fake cheer don’t keep everyone happy’, lies Debby) inability to properly close mouth & even shed uneven tears (who knew paralyzing my face muscles could increase my waterproof mascara game????) but not always symmetrically [or evenly] across both sides (“Yup! The body can be weird like that!”)

Now let’s get onto tackling ways we have researched over times how best we deal with this inconvenience.

Traditional medical interventions

Traditional medicine has several interventions used over time besides self-eating all chocolate available while watching Disney movies:

Antiviral Medications

Some experts believe that viruses might trigger Bell’s palsy thus such medications have been designed / made to treat this condition. (Hey, why not get the viruses when they are partying in our bodies?)

One example of antiviral medications include Acyclovir or Famciclovir that might help to reduce inflammation and “shorten” virus activity.

Corticosteroids

Inflammation plays a major role in Bell’s palsy development, which is where corticosteroids come into play- They work by reducing it. A research conducted on these also claimed that early administration (within 72 hours after symptoms begin) is advisable because a late start which does more harm than good (like choosing a bad haircut).

Corticosteroid treatments like Prednisone or Methylprednisolone may be started between 48 to 72 hours once weakness signs appear [even before diagnosis]. However, whether such treatment will help depends on individual cases (Because one size certainly doesn’t fit all)

Physical Therapy & Other Lifestyle Changes

Besides medical interventions/ jabs– there are several non-medical ways you can try recovering faster or at least slowing down progression:

Facial muscle exercises

This is helpful especially for those who completely avoided laughing through childhood due to hating their gummy smiles (Trust me I know your pain).

As soon as diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, start practicing facial exercise regularly – Cheek puffing , eyebrow lifting and blowing out candles should do the trick…and some extra yoga poses(if that’s what will do-shrug). Begin within two weeks and continue until symptoms end just makes sure your practice time increases slowly- no one wants an achy face from over-exercising.

Warm Compresses

These essentially give ‘tender loving care/T.L.C’ . Gently massaging / applying warm compresses every day relax muscles around the affected area thus easing off tension along pressure points. One study actually confirmed that moist heat from warm compresses helped to significantly improve facial functions in patients with Bell’s palsy. (Yeah- we all dig a steamy towel on our face)

Conduction-Based Therapies

Newer therapies have developed over time some that directly attempt at fixing the problem work and others unproven but still worth mentioning anyways:

Acupuncture

This is exactly what it sounds like, piercing tiny needles through determined areas of your skin in order to unblock Qi lines on various pressure points Eventually should: ‘create more harmonious energy flow improving nerve function‘ (whatever ‘harmonious’ energy my nerves will know) Others believe artificially stimulating those sunken face muscles creates a certain excitement leading to their rehabilitation…who knows.

Acupuncture is supposed be ushered in as soon as symptoms set in / within 7 -10 days otherwise it reduces efficiency results thereafter may not hold much benefit.

Electrical stimulation

Using electric currents small enough [within the tolerable range] doctors can stimulate facial nerves for them too back into action thus reducing downtime & gradually enhancing muscle activity.I(Electric acupuncture?)“Guess there are newer modes of Electric Shock afterall.”

Now you know all about different ways available when handling bell’s Palsymost importantly (don’t just Google something online and hail it gospel truth). Speak up,research well and choose carefully based off individual case scenarios keeping your preference firmly intact.

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