Bells Palsy Early Symptoms
Bells palsy is often mistaken as cerebral stroke because there is partial or full facial paralysis or weakening of the facial nerves that cause the affected side of the face to droop. This can stretch from just a few weeks to a good number of years. It is quite easy for people with Bells Palsy to, at first, believe that they have just had a stroke because aside from the drooping and its one-sided nature, Bells Palsy early symptoms may include pain on the face, impaired taste buds, difficulty to close the eyes on the affected side, hypersensitivity to sound, and the most common cerebral stroke symptom, the slurred speech.
The pinpoint cause of Bells Palsy is still not known. One theory is that inflammation-causing viral infections are pressing against the facial nerves, forcing the face to droop. Some, on the other hand, believe that certain conditions like the herpes simplex, diabetes, Lyme disease and some cancers act as catalysts of Bells Palsy early symptoms.
Approximately 25 out of every 100,000 people are affected by Bells Palsy every year, with the incidence rate growing a little bit with age. Although it can develop in both sexes at any age, it is most common between 15 and 40. Diabetics, pregnant women and those who are immuno-compromised are most likely to develop Bells Palsy.
Three-fourths of Bells Palsy patients experience complete and immediate recovery, most often in only two or three weeks. Others experience a slightly slower recovery and may also exhibit facial asymmetry once in a while. It is interesting to note that in most Bells Palsy patients, synkinesis develops, or the twitching of the corner mouth whenever that person blinks.
At first glance, this medical condition may sound a bit too complicated, but it is highly treatable, given all of Bells Palsy early symptoms.
