If you’ve ever seen someone with Bell’s Palsy, often times you would describe that person as appearing like a stroke victim. One side of the face with no muscular control, slack and paralyzed.
Bell’s Palsy is a sudden onset (generally a day or less) of weak, numb, tingling, pain and/or paralyzed face muscles. It’s affectation is unilateral (one side of the face only).
As mentioned above, the sufferer looks like he or she has suffered a stroke but because the face muscles are controlled by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) which leads directly to the skull and not the spinal cord, the paralysis is confined only to the face.
Bell’s Palsy has no known organic cause and so diagnosis is exclusionary – other causes such as brain tumor, stroke, diabetes, meningitis and head trauma must first be ruled out.
Research indicates that in 60 percent of Bell’s Palsy cases, Herpes Simplex 1 (cold sore, not STD) is thought to be the cause but again this is still a theory. In such cases, anti-viral treatments can be prescribed but the benefits of such treatment are still largely controversial.
Other tried cures include steroids and chiropractic treatments to the head and neck. Again though, a “cure” has yet to be found.
Oftentimes, the condition will correct itself in as little as two weeks without treatment, especially if the condition is only partial paralysis of one side of the face, not complete paralysis of one side of the face.
If complete paralysis, the condition can last for weeks, even months, with some reporting symptoms as long as up to a year. This isn’t the only cause for concern though.
The eye muscles control the ability to blink and even close the eye. If the eye dries out, permanent corneal damage can occur.
Additionally, the ability to chew and swallow are affected by Bell’s Palsy, depending on the level of paralysis.
Recent studies however, report relief from Bell’s Palsy symptoms when patients are treated for TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder.
Although the conditions do not appear to be related (TMJ disorder affects the joint that connects the jaw to the skull, whereas Bell’s Palsy affects the facial nerve), the TMJ treatments seem promising to provide relief to Bell’s Palsy sufferers.
If you suffer from TMJ disorder or Bell’s Palsy, I encourage you to try my all natural TMJ No More program. It has been successful at helping thousands of people and I hope you will be one of them!
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