facial paralysis

[Linda51]

Whilst watching TV last week my lip started to feel really strange just as though I had had an injection at the dentist,this travelled up the side of my nose and under my eye, the feeling lasted around 20 minutes.  I went to my GP who said it sounded like trapped nerves in my face and recommended I take one 300mg aspirin a day for two weeks.  It has done the same thing again a few times, has anyone else had this as it was really scary.

[Emily Ball]

Linda from what you describe it sounds like a mild case of Bell's Palsy. Have a look at this website:

http://www.bellspalsy.ws/

Your doc will be able to confirm whether that may be the case. (its not permanent by the way).

[Kay]

Linda51, It could be a mild form of Bells Palsy. I had a BP attack 3 years ago and mine started with numbness on the right side of my face. The whole of the right side of my face was numb and drooped but it went back to normal in weeks. I was given painkillers as it gives one earache and headaches. Its the 7th cranial nerve which is affected,You can Google BP to put your mind at rest.

[Kay]

Emily ...Snap! :--))

[estie]

Not to scare you, but Emily isn't 100% correct. It certainly can be permanent.

In your case, it sounds mild, though I would definitely get to a doctor. But my grandmother had a bad case of it 4 years ago now, and her face, while a lot better, is still very different from how it used to be. One side of her face is much weaker than the other, so when she blinks or smiles or chews her food, it looks lop-sided. Not a nice thing to happen to someone :-(

[Linzi84]

Sorry to be picky estie, but the website that Emily has given us actually states it is not a permanent thing.

[estie]

Yeah, I saw that after I posted. In most cases it is not permanent, but I have certainly seen it last over 4 years in my grandmother, and over 10 years in another aquaintance.

And as the website says (though it fails to cite a source) "Approximately 50% of Bells palsy patients will have essentially complete recoveries in a short time. Another 35% will have good recoveries in less than a year." You will notice that that leaves 15% unaccounted for.

One must always be extremely cautious when consulting the internet for medical advice.

[Gooner_Badge]

I can 100% say that Bell Palsy can permanent.

My father got it when he was 21 and had paralysis on the left side of his face till the day he died aged 58!

My brother got it when he was 16, and now aged 44 has severe paralysis to the left side of his face as well.

[Emily Ball]

Bell's Palsy itself is not permanent but the effects of having had the condition can be long-lasting . It is by no means inevitable that there will be any long-term damage however. My own niece had it when she was a teenager and the effects lasted only a few weeks and were barely noticeable  at their worst  anyway. If Linda's doctor confirms that she has Bell's Palsy there are various treatments nowadays to aid full recovery.

[Kay]

Im a member of the BP group that Emily put up. It depends on the individual and the severity of the nerve damage. Although my attack of 3 years ago made my face+forehead numb plus dribbling,head +earpain,this all went back within 3 months. The 7th cranial nerve has to re generate so the more its damaged the longer it takes to heal. I still have a lopsided smile and when over tired my affected eye still droops and feels like it weighs a ton! I still think Linda's case is mild BP.