Bell's Palsy in West Greenwich

What is Bell’s Palsy?

Bell's palsy in West Greenwich is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis. It begins suddenly and worsens over 48 hours. This neurological condition results from damage to the facial nerve. It can occur when the nerve that controls your facial muscles becomes inflamed, swollen, or compressed. Pain and discomfort usually occur on one side of the face or head. Bell’s palsy usually resolves in time and causes no long-term complications. However, during the illness most people with Bell’s palsy are unable to close their eye on the affected side of their face. It has been known to be associated with stress and can change a person’s life dramatically. With retraining your brain wave pattern, the facial nerve function is improved and therefore the facial muscle is reinnervated.

Bell’s palsy affects about 40,000 people in the United States every year. It can affect anyone of any gender and age, but its incidence seems to be highest in those in the 15- to 45-year-old age group. Risk factors for Bell’s palsy include pregnancy, preeclampsia, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, upper respiratory ailments and Lyme Disease.

What Causes Bell’s Palsy in West Greenwich?

The cause of Bell’s Palsy is still unclear. It is a disruption of the facial nerve function, the nerve becomes inflamed and the message to the brain can not be received, resulting in paralysis or weakness. Bell’s Palsy is sometimes associated with:

• Diabetes
• Toxins
• High blood pressure
• Injury
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Lyme disease
• Sarcoidosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Infection, especially following a viral infection

What are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of Bell’s palsy can develop one to two weeks after you have a cold, ear infection, or eye infection. They usually appear abruptly, and you may notice them when you wake up in the morning or when you try to eat or drink. Bell’s palsy is marked by a droopy appearance on one side of the face and the inability to open or close your eye on the affected side. In rare cases, it may affect both sides of your face. Other signs and symptoms may include:

• Difficulty eating and drinking
• Drooling
• Sudden Muscle weakness or complete paralysis on one side of your face
• Inability to make facial expressions
• Facial muscle twitches
• Sensitivity to sound
• Irritation of the eye on the involved side
• Headache
• Dry mouth and eye

Call your doctor immediately if you develop any of these symptoms. You should never self-diagnose Bell’s palsy. The symptoms can be similar to those of other serious conditions, such as a stroke or brain tumor.

What are the complications of Bell’s Palsy?

Most people who have an episode of Bell’s palsy will completely recover without complications. However, complications may occur in more severe cases of Bell’s palsy. Such as:

• You may have excessive dryness in the eye, which can lead to eye infections, ulcers, or even blindness.
• You may have damage to the seventh cranial nerve. This nerve controls your facial muscles.
• You may have synkinesis, which is a condition in which moving one body part causes another to move involuntarily. For example, your eye may close when you smile.

Are you struggling with Bell’s Palsy?

Here at our Chiropractic Neurology office we use the state of the art technology to perform the correct testing for you to achieve a better quality of life. With our Qeeg findings we can tell if your Bell’s Palsy is associated with stress. That brain wave pattern could be making it last longer or even making it worse. Bell’s Palsy usually goes away on its own, but if it's associated with stress it can stick around until that brain wave pattern is regulated again. The doctors here can perform a neurological assessment to evaluate your brain function to determine if you are a candidate for our Neurofeedback program.