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Mc_Nuggets
06-11-2008, 11:46 PM
about three months ago I was out and just before i when home i noticed my rite eye lid was closing slower then normal but i thought i was just sleepy.
the next morning i woke up and i could move from my fore head till the bottom of my neck on the rite side which is called bell's palsy. I didn't notice until i hit traffic on the way to work because i was late. I call my boss up and he thought i was Bullsh!!!ng so i could have a day off. at the time i thought its was symptoms of having a stoke. I quickly when to 3 different medical centers and they said they where too busy. So i when to the PA hospital Emergency and i turn out one of my cab driver works part time their so i got to skip the line abit.

When I saw the doc I got diagnosed with a facial Bell's Palsy. On the first week I was under depression coz i thought it was going to be permanent. But when i when to see a Neural surgeon he said after 3hrs of testing and zapping my face he said because your hearing isn't different and every thing tastes funny on the right side of your tongue it will heal up with out any side affects but it will take longer to heal up then normal cases (but i kinder still am). When he checked out my mouth he said I mite have the flue. Two weeks later i got influenza type B well thats what the test said when they shoved a 20cm tube up my nose, but none of the drugs they gave me worked besides the one that kept my temperature down, and i had it for 2 weeks.

At the moment I can't sleep coz i can't close my right eye all the way.
the reason why i posted this up coz i can't think of anything esl to do.



heres info what my cozen professor in turkey gave me




What is Bell's Palsy?

Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to one of the two facial nerves. The facial nerve-also called the 7th cranial nerve-is a paired structure that travels through a narrow, bony canal (called the Fallopian canal) in the skull, beneath the ear, to the muscles on each side of the face. For most of its journey, the nerve is encased in this bony shell.

Each facial nerve directs the muscles on one side of the face, including those that control eye blinking and closing, and facial expressions such as smiling and frowning. Additionally, the facial nerve carries nerve impulses to the lacrimal or tear glands, the saliva glands, and the muscles of a small bone in the middle of the ear called the stapes. The facial nerve also transmits taste sensations from the tongue.

When Bell's palsy occurs, the function of the facial nerve is disrupted, causing an interruption in the messages the brain sends to the facial muscles. This interruption results in facial weakness or paralysis.

Bell's palsy is named for Sir Charles Bell, a 19th century Scottish surgeon who was the first to describe the condition. The disorder, which is not related to stroke, is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Generally, Bell's palsy affects only one of the paired facial nerves and one side of the face, however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides.


What are the Symptoms?

Because the facial nerve has so many functions and is so complex, damage to the nerve or a disruption in its function can lead to many problems. Symptoms of Bell's palsy, which vary from person to person and range in severity from mild weakness to total paralysis, may include twitching, weakness, or paralysis on one or both sides of the face, drooping of the eyelid and corner of the mouth, drooling, dryness of the eye or mouth, impairment of taste, and excessive tearing in one eye. Most often these symptoms, which usually begin suddenly and reach their peak within 48 hours, lead to significant facial distortion.

Other symptoms may include pain or discomfort around the jaw and behind the ear, ringing in one or both ears, headache, loss of taste, hypersensitivity to sound on the affected side, impaired speech, dizziness, and difficulty eating or drinking.


What Causes Bell's Palsy?

Bell's palsy occurs when the nerve that controls the facial muscles is swollen, inflamed, or compressed, resulting in facial weakness or paralysis. Exactly what causes this damage, however, is unknown.

Most scientists believe that a viral infection such as viral meningitis or the common cold sore virus - herpes simplex - causes the disorder. They believe that the facial nerve swells and becomes inflamed in reaction to the infection, causing pressure within the Fallopian canal and leading to an infarction (the death of nerve cells due to insufficient blood and oxygen supply). In some mild cases (where recovery is rapid), there is damage only to the myelin sheath of the nerve. The myelin sheath is the fatty covering-which acts as an insulator-on nerve fibers in the brain.

The disorder has also been associated with influenza or a flu-like illness, headaches, chronic middle ear infection, high blood pressure, diabetes, sarcoidosis, tumors, Lyme disease, and trauma such as skull fracture or facial injury.


Who Gets it?

Bell's palsy afflicts approximately 40,000 Turks each year. It affects men and women equally and can occur at any age, but it is less common before age 15 or after age 60. It disproportionately attacks pregnant women and people who have diabetes or upper respiratory ailments such as the flu or a cold.


How is it Diagnosed?

A diagnosis of Bell's palsy is made based on clinical presentation-including a distorted facial appearance and the inability to move muscles on the affected side of the face-and by ruling out other possible causes of facial paralysis. There is no specific laboratory test to confirm diagnosis of the disorder.

Generally, a physician will examine the individual for upper and lower facial weakness. In most cases this weakness is limited to one side of the face or occasionally to the forehead, eyelid, or mouth. A test called electromyography (EMG) can confirm the presence of nerve damage and determine the severity and the extent of nerve involvement. An x-ray of the skull can help rule out infection or tumor. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan can eliminate other causes of pressure on the facial nerve.

How is it Treated?

There is no cure or standard course of treatment for Bell's palsy. The most important factor in treatment is to eliminate the source of the nerve damage.

Bell's palsy affects each individual differently. Some cases are mild and do not require treatment as the symptoms usually subside on their own within 2 weeks. For others, treatment may include medications and other therapeutic options.

Recent studies have shown that steroids are an effective treatment for Bell's palsy and that an antiviral drug such as acyclovir-used to fight viral infections-combined with an anti-inflammatory drug such as the steroid prednisone-used to reduce inflammation and swelling-may be effective in improving facial function by limiting or reducing damage to the nerve. Analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen may relieve pain. Because of possible drug interactions, patients taking prescription medicines should always talk to their doctors before taking any over-the-counter drugs.

Another important factor in treatment is eye protection. Bell's palsy can interrupt the eyelid's natural blinking ability, leaving the eye exposed to irritation and drying. Therefore, keeping the eye moist and protecting the eye from debris and injury, especially at night, is important. Lubricating eye drops, such as artificial tears or eye ointments or gels, and eye patches are also effective.

Physical therapy to stimulate the facial nerve and help maintain muscle tone may be beneficial to some. Facial massage and exercises may help prevent permanent contractures (shrinkage or shortening of muscles) of the paralyzed muscles before recovery takes place. Moist heat applied to the affected side of the face may help reduce pain.

Other therapies that may be useful for some individuals include relaxation techniques, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, biofeedback training, and vitamin therapy (including vitamin B12, B6, and zinc), which may help nerve growth.

In general, decompression surgery for Bell's palsy -to relieve pressure on the nerve-is controversial and is seldom recommended. On rare occasions, cosmetic or reconstructive surgery may be needed to reduce deformities and correct some damage such as an eyelid that will not fully close or a crooked smile.


What is the Prognosis?

The prognosis for individuals with Bell's palsy is generally very good. The extent of nerve damage determines the extent of recovery. Improvement is gradual and recovery times vary. With or without treatment, most individuals begin to get better within 2 weeks after the initial onset of symptoms and most recover completely, returning to normal function within 3 to 6 months. For some, however, the symptoms may last longer. In a few cases, the symptoms may never completely disappear. In rare cases, the disorder may recur, either on the same or the opposite side of the face.

project.r.racing
07-11-2008, 06:42 AM
Wow, that's just a little intense me thinkz.

Should you be driving with your current onset of symptoms?

marcs_sp20
07-11-2008, 06:56 AM
tashs aunt had this just before xmas last year, was hospitalised for 3 days and off work for 2weeks! Took her a good 2 months to get back to normal tho..

Rupewrecht
07-11-2008, 08:22 AM
Damn, that's tough luck mate. Here's hoping it clears up quickly!

chicaboo
07-11-2008, 08:31 AM
Hey Faruk,

Given the above, are Turkish people particulary predisposed to this condition? A simple eye cover like you get on international Qantus flights should help you sleep more easily.

Get well soon, Gav.

Mc_Nuggets
07-11-2008, 09:59 AM
Wow, that's just a little intense me thinkz.
Should you be driving with your current onset of symptoms?

for the first two weeks i didn't but know can blink my eye a bit but doesn't go down fully.

Hey Faruk,
Given the above, are Turkish people particulary predisposed to this condition? A simple eye cover like you get on international Qantus flights should help you sleep more easily.

Get well soon, Gav.
hehe na it happens world wide

I fell a spleep lastnight around 2:30 and rite know im at work bord

FOX33N
07-11-2008, 10:13 AM
yea i know a guy who had it. Went away in about 2 months. Not nice thou!
Hope you get better!

Batty
07-11-2008, 11:44 AM
Sounds freaky, don't think I want it.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

Mc_Nuggets
07-11-2008, 12:06 PM
Sounds freaky, don't think I want it.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

Thanks man

Mc_Nuggets
08-11-2008, 05:31 AM
its 5:30 in the morning and i cant sleep form this sh1t

das
08-11-2008, 10:51 AM
Ah man. Is there any possibility of you getting some sort of sleep drug? Or would there be some sort of badness with palsy and like.. stilnox?

Mc_Nuggets
08-11-2008, 02:17 PM
nah I don't want to take sleeping stuff

Ive seen three specialist and they all said the same thing "it will heal up gradually after time and the funny thing is you will wake up and it will be gone. but if it is still there for 6 months (5 left) come and see me again."

Plutonus
08-11-2008, 04:13 PM
Well if you can't sleep, you can't wake up and it be gone :p