Bell's Palsy
- Overview
- Introduction
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Complications
- Homoeopathic Treatment
- Do's and Don'ts
- Diet and Nutrition
What is Bell's Palsy?
Bell's Palsy is acute facial paralysis which usually affects only one side of face in most people. It is sudden with rapid onset and fast progression. Symptoms usually develop overnight. Facial nerve which is the seventh cranial nerve is affected resulting in drooping of face of the same side.
Facts and Figures about Bell's Palsy
- Bell's Palsy causes facial paralysis in almost 40,000 Americans each year.
- It is an acute disease and is responsible for more than 80% cases of acute facial paralysis.
- Both men and women are equally affected by it and can affect any age group.
- It is more common from adulthood till old age.
- People suffering from Diabetes or those prone to colds and flu are more susceptible to it.
- Bell's Palsy is not a contagious disease.
What Happens In Bell's Palsy?
- Sudden weakness of one side of face
- Drooping of affected side of face
- Numbness of affected side of face with twitching
- Difficulty in closing eye and mouth on affected side of face
- Drooling of saliva
- Increased or decreased formation of tears
- Pain around ear
- Intolerance to loud noises
- Change in taste
- Difficulty in eating or drinking
Click to know more about Symptoms of Bell's Palsy
What Can Bell's Palsy Lead To?
- Although Bell's Palsy is not life threatening, sudden paralysis of face can cause alarm, fear and low self-esteem in affected individuals.
- Though Bell's Palsy recovers with or without treatment, it may result in permanent damage to the vision, or result in decreased functioning of facial muscles in some cases.
- Bell's Palsy can cause permanent loss of taste too.
How Well Homeopathy Works In Bell's Palsy?
- Homeopathy is strongly recommended for cases of Bell's Palsy since its individualized approach helps in faster recovery from the disease and it can halt the progression of as well as prevent complications of the condition.
- Homeopathic treatment targets the immune system of the individual, because only a vigorous immunity can tackle Bell's Palsy or any other condition affecting a person.
- Homeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy is natural, safe and without any side-effects, and also helps in removing other associated symptoms.
Few of our amazing remedies include:
- Agaricus: Excellent remedy for Bell's Palsy when patient has intense stiffness and twitching of facial muscles. Itching and burning of face. Extreme tearing and cutting type of pain along cheeks. Pain along the nerve feels like cold needles and ice is touching them.
- Platina: Efficient remedy for Bell's Palsy with numb feeling in facial muscles with coldness and numbness. Pain increase and decrease gradually. Eyes feel cold.
- Belladonna: Effective remedy for facial neuralgia with twitching of facial muscles and redness of face. Convulsive motions of face. Face is hot and swollen. Congestion of face is intense. Aversion to water. Fear and irritation from light and noise.
- Aconitum Napellus: Excellent for acute cases of Bell's palsy after sudden exposure to cold winds. Extreme fear, anxiety and anguish with intense fear of death. One cheek red, other pale. Face is red, hot swollen. Tingling of facial muscles with numbness. Affections of left side of face.
Facial Nerve is the seventh cranial nerve. It travels in a narrow bony canal in skull and reaches beneath the ear to facial muscles. It is responsible for facial expressions such as smiling and frowning, blinking and closing of eyes, tear gland and salivary gland control and sense of taste. Infections may result in its swelling and thereby compression in narrow bony canal and this can damage the nerve.
Any interruption or malfunction in the functions of this nerve results in facial weakness and paralysis, leading to facial distortion. There follows a range of symptoms that peak by 2-3 days.
Bell's Palsy is named after Sir Charles Bell who was a 19th century Scottish surgeon and the first person to describe the condition.
Treating Bell's Palsy is a challenge because predicting the outcome is difficult. Homeopathic Treatment and lifestyle adjustments can help you reduce or manage the signs and symptoms of Bell's Palsy.
Homeopathy will relieve you effectively and safely without any side effects.
Fast Facts
- Symptoms of Bell's Palsy start all of a sudden.
- The disease reaches its peak within 48-72 hours.
- Symptoms of Bell's Palsy usually subside within 3 weeks in most cases but may take upto 8 to 9 months in some people.
- Few cases may progress into complications and persistent muscle weakness
Facial Paralysis
- Sudden weakness on one side of face
- Drooping of affected side of face and mouth
- Numbness of affected side of face with twitching
- Difficulty in closing eye and mouth on affected side of face
- Drooling of saliva
Eye Symptoms
- Increased or decreased formation of tears
- Inability to close eye resulting in dry eye
- Eyes, if not protected, may get injured or ulcerated, hampering vision
Ear Symptoms
- Pain around ear
- Intolerance to loud sounds
Mouth Symptoms
- Change in taste
- Difficulty eating or drinking
- Inability to close mouth
- Drooling of saliva
Homeopathy plays a crucial role in treating symptoms of Bell's Palsy because it follows a holistic approach by considering the uniqueness of the individual and characteristics of the individual in disease.
Certain factors have been seen to be frequently associated with Bell's Palsy:
- Inflammation of facial nerve: Inflammation, swelling or compression of facial nerve may result in Bell's Palsy.
- Viruses: Viral infections are the commonest causes of Bell's Palsy. Herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus and Cytomegalovirus are implicated in its development.
- Injury to facial nerve: Seventh cranial nerve (facial nerve) travels via a narrow, bony canal in the skull, beneath the ear, to the muscles on each side of the face. Though the nerve is encased in this bony shell for most of its course, yet any damage or trauma to it may result in Bell's Palsy.
Bell's Palsy can result in complications like:
- Ageusia (chronic loss of taste): Temporary loss of taste is common in Bell's Palsy but it can also result in permanent loss of taste.
- Chronic facial spasm: The face remains in a permanent state of spasm in some people.
- Eye problems: Corneal infection may result in permanent damage to eye, ulcerations or permanent blindness.
- Persistent facial weakness: This includes continuing loss of control over facial muscles with difficulty in speech, eating and drinking.
- Synkinesis: It is a condition where when a part of body is moved it leads to simultaneous movement of other body part. For example, automatic closing of eye on smiling. It occurs mostly during nerve re growth.
- Crocodile tear syndrome: This is actually due to faulty nerve regeneration resulting in shedding of tears while eating.
- Homeopathy is very proficient in managing the symptoms of Bell's Palsy with its constitutional approach and vast range of medicines.
- Homeopathic medicines are prescribed on a constitutional approach in which the entire history of the patient, his life situation and current status of health are considered together to make a prescription.
- The process is natural and based on invoking the immune system of the individual to fight the disease back.
- Moreover, it also helps in preventing the relapse of the condition. Homoeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy provides complete holistic wellbeing to the patient by boosting their immune system.
- Homeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy is natural, safe and without any side-effects. It is a patient-oriented science that prescribes medicines which have been well-proved on human beings, so that the exact nature and characteristics of each remedy are established.
Few of our amazing remedies in Homeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy include:
- Agaricus: Excellent remedy for Bell's Palsy when patient has intense stiffness and twitching of facial muscles. Itching and burning of face. Extreme tearing and cutting type of pain along cheeks. Pain along the nerve feels like cold needles and ice is touching them.
- Platina: Efficient remedy for Bell's Palsy with numb feeling in facial muscles with coldness and numbness. Pain increase and decrease gradually. Eyes feel cold.
- Belladonna: Effective remedy for facial neuralgia with twitching of facial muscles and redness of face. Convulsive motions of face. Face is hot and swollen. Congestion of face is intense. Aversion to water. Fear and irritation from light and noise.
- Aconitum Napellus: Excellent for acute cases of Bell's palsy after sudden exposure to cold winds. Extreme fear, anxiety and anguish with intense fear of death. One cheek red, other pale. Face is red, hot swollen. Tingling of facial muscles with numbness. Affections of left side of face.
- Have a look at some of the remedies used in homeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy. The treatment given by our Experts is highly specific for the individual we treat and not limited to 2 or 3 drugs. Homeopathic treatment for Bell's Palsy offers a minimum of 50 remedies effective against the condition.
BELL'S, PALSY: 1Acon, 2Agar, 1All-c, 1Alum, 2Am-p, 1Anac, 1Anh, 1Apis, 2Arn, 1Ars, 1Bac, 1Bapt, 2Bar-c, 3Bell, 2Cadm-s, 1Carb-v, 1Carc, 3Caust, 2Cocc, 1Colch, 1Con, 1Crot-h, 2Cupr, 2Cur, 2Dulc, 1Form, 2Gels, 2Graph, 1Hell, 1Hep, 1Hyos, 1Hyper, 2Ign, 1Iod, 2Kali-chl, 2Kali-i, 1Kali-m, 1Kali-p, 1Lach, 1Lyc, 1Merc, 1Merc-i-f, 1Mur-ac, 1Naja, 1Nat-m, 1Nux-m, 2Nux-v, 1Ol-an, 1Op, 1Oxyu-s, 1Peti, 1Petr, 1Phos, 1Phys, 1Physal, 1Phyt, 1Plat, 1Plb, 1Puls, 1Ran-b, 1Rhus-t, 1Ruta, 1Sec, 1Seneg, 1Sep, 1Sil, 1Solid, 1Spig, 1Stram, 1Stry, 1Sulph, 1Syph, 1Zinc, 1Zinc-p, 1Zinc-pic
BELL'S, PALSY, Cold, from: 1Acon, 2Cadm-s, 3Caust, 2Dulc, 1Ruta
BELL'S, PALSY, Riding, in the wind, from: 1Acon, 1Bell, 2Cadm-s, 3Caust, 1Ign
BELL'S, PALSY, Twitching, of muscles, with: 1Agar, 1Kali-m, 1Syph
The remedy abbreviations with
- 4 marks- most effective,
- 3 marks- quite effective,
- 2 marks- less effective,
- 1 mark- least effective.
It is, however, worthwhile to remember that self-medication is not recommended. Consult one of our Experts Now for freedom from Bell's Palsy for yourself or your loved one!
Do's
- To prevent damage to affected eye, put artificial tear drops or lubricating drops to prevent drying.
- Since it is difficult to close eye, cover it with a clean cotton pad.
- Since blink reflex is affected in Bell's Palsy, protect your eyes from injury.
- Soak cotton towel in warm water and squeeze it, then apply on painful areas of face. It will ease the pain.
- Facial exercises will help in faster stimulation of facial muscles and quick recovery.
- Maintain good health with balanced diet and regular exercise for good immunity.
Don'ts
- Avoid large bites of foods; eat small portions for easy chewing. In severe cases take semisolid or liquid foods to avoid choking.
- Do not let your eye become dry.
Following food may be of help in reducing symptoms of Bell's Palsy.
- Food containing enough vitamins and minerals are helpful in minimizing the complications of Bell's Palsy. Consume lots of green veggies and fruits.
- Eat less of Arginine-rich food like walnuts, hazelnuts and brazil nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Arginine is required by viruses for their multiplication.
- Avoid foods which cause allergies. Common foods which cause allergies in some individuals are eggs, soya, nuts, wheat, corn, etc.
- Avoid foods containing preservatives and artificial colors.
- Avoid refined food such as white breads, pastas, sugar, fried food, doughnuts, pastries, bread, candy and soft drinks, etc.
- Avoid coffee, alcohol and smoking.