What is it?
It is a condition in which the muscles on one side of your face become weak or paralyzed. It affects only one side of the face at a time, causing it to droop or become stiff on that side. You may find difficult to smile or close your eyes. This can occur at any age but is most common in people between ages 16 to 60. Bell’s Palsy is temporary and the symptoms go after a few weeks.
What are the symptoms?
- It develops one to two weeks after you have a cold, ear infection, or eye infection. The symptoms usually appear abruptly, and you may notice them when you wake up in the morning or when you try to eat or drink.
- Symptoms happen on one side of the face and they are sudden and reach peak in a couple of days.
- You’re unable to close your eyelid or blink.
- Your eye waters more or less than usual.
- Drooling.
- Difficulty chewing.
- Decreased sense of taste.
- Your facial muscles twitch.
- Pain or numbness behind your ear.
- Sensitivity to sound.
- Headache.
- Decreased ability to taste.
- Changes in quantity of tears produced.
- Inability to close an eyelid.
What to expect?
If you are diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, you can consider discussing the following subjects with your doctor after the initial treatment:
- A healthy diet, quitting smoking and an active lifestyle can help improve overall health and well-being. Which changes can you make in your lifestyle?