Management of Bell's palsy

Bell's palsy is facial paralysis that causes sagging on one side of the face and ends in the inability of moving this side of the face. Doctors believe that Bell's palsy occurs due to acute inflammation of the nerve supplying the affected side of the face, this nerve inflammation is usually triggered by specific viral infections such as Varicella Zoster or Herpes Simplex virus.

It should be noted that some people may mistake Bell's palsy for a stroke; this is because stroke usually involves a weakness in the muscles of one side of the face just like Bell's palsy. In fact, Bell's palsy and stroke aren't actually related.

A stroke is an emergency case, facial drop arises suddenly accompanied by other symptoms such as; numbness, slurred speech, blurred vision, and dizziness. In these cases, you should seek medical help as fast as you can.

On the other side, Bell's palsy isn't an emergency case; it develops within hours or even days. Its clinical symptoms include; headache, loss of taste in the affected side of the tongue, and excessive tears from one eye.

Management of Bell's palsy includes the following:

1. Medical treatment: oral steroids to relieve nerve swelling + antiviral drugs if there is underlying viral infection + artificial tears in cases of eye dryness.
2. Physiotherapy for the affected muscles of the face: it includes; facial massage, facial exercise, and minimal electrical stimulation.
3. Wearing protective glasses for eye protection.