Bells Palsy...anyone else suffered from it?

Had a bit of a scare Thursday...got home from work and went to say hi to the missus and found I couldn't speak properly, wife was freaking out and said my left hand side of my face had drooped! After a worrying night in the stroke unit it was decided that I have been struck with Bells Palsy.. (I actually look a bit like that smiley lol)

The droopyness has made a slight improvement with the steroids but still cant really move the left side of my mouth or blink my left eye... you don't realise how often you blink till you cant do it!

Has anyone else had any experience of it? I had never even heard of it till Thursday night..

 

Chris Walker Superbike Rider/British Superbike Rider suffered from this some years ago. i had never heard of it at the time, to be honest if you see interviews with him you can still slightly see some drop in his mouth, im not sure if you can get more or less severe symptoms. hope all works ok with your treatment

 

A friend of mine at work had it. Came on suddenly, as you say. Don't know what treatment he had, but it appeared to work - he seems fine now. Isn't it something to do with nerves?

 

bloke i used to work withs mom had it come on one night, lasted a week or 2 then went with no ill effects

 

Wish you well

 

Cheers Jammy.

From what I have read about 15 out of 20 cases recover with no long lasting effects so fingers crossed

I believe it is something to do with nerves Snotty, where they come through the skull to the face they get inflamed or some such nonsense....steroids are thought to reduce the inflammation apparently... I am on 12 of them a day at the mo so hope they do something other than make me a bloater lol

 

Thanks dudes

 

My wife unfortunately got it during pregnancy, was very worrying for her at the time. It's apparently a condition brought on by a virus attacking the facial nerves. Recovery was a long drawn out process and she had to have some physio to get the facial muscles working again. Thankfully all's well now.

 

Someone I work with got this. I'd never come across it before either. They are now pretty much back to normal (8 weeks later).

 

Glad to hear she has recovered dude I did wonder if some sort of physio may be called for. I will look into it if no improvement in the next few days

 

mum had it, mum is very old, friend had it ,(young) both made full recovery over period of several weeks .Best wishes .

 

ive heard of people with it, recovering after a period of time,
get well soon...

 

Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

Trigeminal nerve, inflamed due to a virus, vast majority of people have complete recovery within 6 weeks with medication. It is helpful to have some Physio (are you coming to techenders?) basically look in the mirror and try to move the muscles that are effected by attempting exaggerated movements!
If you want PM me
Andy

 

Cheers dude

I'm not doing techenders this time...really should come to one sometime though..

I have been trying my own interpretation of physio....things like closing my eyelid with my finger and then trying to open it while holding some resistance with my finger...and trying to smile repeatedly etc..am I on the right lines?

On a positive note, I have noticed the damaged side has less wrinkles now lol

 

Ha ha
Yeah you are doing the right things, just keep trying at least four times a day with exaggerated smiling frowning, opening your mouth fully. If the muscles don't respond or move then use your fingers to push the face into a position then try to hold it there!
Should start to respond within a week

 

star man

 

yeah speedy recovery Dubs

 

A guy I work with had it. In his mid thirties, fit and healthy but it came on suddenly. It took several months for his recovery but you wouldn't guess he ever had it now.

Good luck with it, I wish you well.