Belling bacteria and viral infections

HEALTH

Bell's palsy is the most common cause of acute facial nerve paralysis.

The thought of waking up one morning with a face that is distorted and paralysed can be devastating and horrifying.

But this is what Bell's palsy can do to you. The most common acute disease involving only one nerve and the most common cause of acute facial nerve paralysis, palsy usually strikes its victim following an ear or viral infection.

It is now also associated with the bacterial infection Lyme disease and viral infection Herpes simplex.

Bell's palsy was named after anatomist Charles Bell, who first described it. The condition occurs when a facial nerve and muscles get affected and paralysed after an infection that causes the nerves to swell. Once the swelling subsides, it can lead to nerve damage.

Though the condition can happen overnight, it can take weeks or months to heal.

In most cases, one side of the face is paralysed leaving one side of the mouth droopy and causing difficulty in closing one eye. Instant damage control is of utmost importance before it leads to permanent paralysis. Doctors suggest a course of steroids immediately after the discovery of the condition for 3-4 weeks.

"Almost 60-70 per cent patients recover from the condition but some do develop problems if instant treatment is not given," explains Dr V S Mehta, director neurosciences, Paras Hospitals.

In instances where the patient's condition sees no improvement after six weeks, doctors advice nerve decompression.

Patients whose condition remains the same for three months may have to resort to a nerve transplant or cosmetic surgery since the paralysis may be considered permanant and may further lead to problems like corneal ulceration and difficulty in swallowing and drinking.

Bell's palsy doesn't affect children and rarely older people though it is common among those between the age of 20 and 45. It can be a vague condition and can strike anyone at any time, particularly so in the winter season... In fact, sadly, there is no specific way of avoiding palsy.