Treatment For Bell’s Palsy
Treatment for bell’s palsy is important since this condition not only changes the look of the person but also makes the eye on the affected side vulnerable. Also, patients with Bell’s palsy have difficulties drinking or eating liquid foods. Most people with Bell Palsy make a full recovery – with or without treatment. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for Bell’s palsy, but your doctor may suggest medication or physical therapy to help speed your recovery. Surgical intervention is rarely an option for Bell’s palsy treatment.
Medications
Medicines commonly used to treat Bell’s palsy are:
- Corticosteroids, like prednisone, are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. If they can reduce the swelling of the facial nerve, it will fit more comfortably into the bone corridor around it. Corticosteroids may be more effective if they are started within a few days of the onset of your symptoms.
- Antiviral drugs. The role of antivirals remains unclear. Antivirals alone showed no benefit over placebo. Antivirals added to steroids may be beneficial for some people with Bell’s palsy, but this is still not proven.
However, valacyclovir (Valtrex) or acyclovir (Zovirax) is commonly prescribed along with prednisone to individuals with severe facial neuritis.
Physical therapy – effective treatment for Bell’s palsy
Paralyzed muscles can contract and shorten, causing permanent contractures. A physical therapist can explain to you how to perform massage and how to exercise your facial muscles to faster restore your paralyzed muscles prevent Bell’s palsy to become chronic.
Surgery
40-50 years ago, decompression operation has been used to diminish compression on the facial nerve by opening an in-bone channel through which the nerve passes. Today, decompression surgery is not recommended. Facial nerve damage and permanent hearing loss are possible risks associated with this surgery.
Rarely, plastic surgery may be needed to correct permanent problems with the facial nerve. Facial resuscitation helps to even out the face and can restore facial movements. Examples of this type of surgery include eyebrow lifts, eyelid lifts, facial implants, and nerve transplants. Some treatments, such as eyebrow lifts, may need to be repeated after a few years.
What Is Bell’s Palsy?
It’s a condition where you experience total or partial paralysis of your facial nerves. It can occur abruptly or gradually emerge within 24-48 hours. The first indication of Bell’s Palsy is usually a crooked smile or slurred speech as the nerve controls facial expressions, eye tearing, taste, and even hearing.
For some people, it starts with a tingling sensation or facial numbness. While for others, it begins with weepy eyes, headache, change in taste, sensitivity to sounds, and probable pain behind the ears.
The cause for Bell’s Palsy has still not been ascertained. It has been linked to various viral infections such as Epstein-Barr, Herpes Simplex, and others. Generally, the symptoms sort out by themselves within a few weeks, and most people recover fully within six months. It’s sporadic, but at times, the condition can be permanent or recur occasionally.
What are the causes of Bell’s palsy?
The causes of Bell’s palsy are unknown. Some scientists believe that this is an auto-immune disease and the inflammation directed by the body’s immune system against the facial nerve motor neurons that control the mimic function of the face. Also, Bell’s palsy often accompanies the following medical conditions:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Wound
- toxins
- Lyme disease
- Guillain Barre Syndrome
- sarcoidosis
- Myasthenia gravis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Infection, especially following a viral infection with the Herpes simplex virus (a virus related to the cause of common “cold sores” of the mouth)
Bell’s Palsy Symptoms
Many people typically experience paralysis and numbness in their eyes, face, and lips. Additionally, you may experience the following symptoms as well:
- Inability to close an eyelid
- Pain behind your ears
- Pain behind your jaw
- Inability to taste
- The quantity of tears produced can be altered
- Headache
- Hypersensitivity to sound
- Drooling
- Alterations in saliva produced
- Facial drooping in one corner of your mouth
- Paralysis or weakness on one side of your face.
Natural treatment for Bell’s Palsy
If you’re looking for an effective natural treatment for Bell’s Palsy, consider that there are various options such as homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki, etc. These methods can help you in recovering quickly. Some excellent home remedies for Bell’s Palsy are:
Massage
At-home massage can be an effective home treatment for Bell’s Palsy. You can inquire with your physical therapists about massage techniques for Bell’s Palsy that you can try out in your home. Gentle massage of your face can ease discomfort and symptoms. It can also effectively mitigate inflammation, anxiety, stress, and even enhance your immune system functioning.
The benefits of massage are quite remarkable. Additionally, you can also request a referral to a licensed masseur who has experience with Bell’s Palsy treatment. You also don’t have to worry about any side effects.
Moist Heat
Many people use a warm cloth to reduce the discomfort and pain associated with Bell’s Palsy. It’s a simple yet effective home treatment for Bell’s Palsy. You can also add a few drops of essential oils such as chamomile, ylang-ylang, rose, and lavender to reduce tension and boost your sleep quality. Whenever the pain re-occurs, or you want to relax, you can repeat the process as needed.
Vitamin B6
In any bell’s Palsy treatment, maintaining optimal eye and nervous system health is imperative. Keeping this in mind, vitamin b6 should be part of your diet to combat Bell’s Palsy symptoms. However, vitamin B6 is water-soluble, so supplementation is typically not recommended. Instead, you should incorporate more vitamin B6-rich foods into your diets such as sunflower seeds, chickpeas, sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, grass-fed beef, and free-range turkey breast.
Vitamin B12.
Associated with nerve growth and reduced inflammation, vitamin B12 may be more effective than prescribed steroids, according to a small study from 1995. Patients in the study received injections of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), steroids, or vitamin B12 injections and steroids. Complete recovery was significantly shorter in the vitamin B12 group with an average recovery time of just two weeks, compared to almost 10 weeks for those who took only steroids.
In addition to enjoying foods rich in vitamin B12 like grass-fed beef and beef liver, sardines, wild fish, cottage cheese, and eggs, adding a high B12 supplement quality can help your recovery. In the study, B12 injections were given directly to damaged nerves. Talk to your doctor about the injections and whether you are a candidate for this treatment.
Zinc
Zinc is also indispensable in every Bell’s palsy treatment. It’s been used over thousands of years to enhance immune system response, heal wounds, and maintain optimum thyroid function health. Its effectiveness for colds, viruses, and some respiratory illnesses has been proven. Include more zinc-rich food into your meals like cashews, chickpeas, grass-fed beef, pumpkin seeds, and lamb. It can help you recover faster from the symptoms and viruses.
Making changes to your diet as part of your home treatment for Bell’s Palsy can prove to be very beneficial.
Natural treatment for Bell’s Palsy is safe and effective. 1 out of 5000 people in the US alone is affected by Bell’s Palsy. It’s generally not a severe disorder, and the symptoms can mitigate on their own. However, it can be unsettling and hard to deal with. When this disorder strikes, one side of your face becomes paralyzed or weakened. The classic traditional physician will prescribe you a combination of antibiotics and steroids and in many cases, this treatment will lead to nowhere. You can take measures to speed up the healing process by using different holistic approaches of natural treatment for Bell’s Palsy.
Home remedies for Bell’s Palsy concentrate on combatting active viruses, reducing stress, and encouraging the damaged nerve tissue to speed up the recovery process. Though the resulting paralysis and weakness are not contagious, the viruses can be infectious.
Alternative medicine approaches to treatment for bell’s palsy
Along with the home remedies for Bell’s Palsy, you can also try other forms of natural treatments for bell’s palsy such as acupuncture for bell’s palsy and homeopathic treatment for bell’s palsy that help to recuperate faster from this severe condition.
While Bell’s palsy is believed to be caused by a viral infection, conventional treatment for Bell’s palsy often includes the use of antiviral drugs, corticosteroids, and, in rare cases, surgery. Often, the symptoms of Bell’s palsy resolve within weeks or months; only in rare cases will there be subsequent episodes or long-term side effects.
Natural treatments for Bell’s palsy focus on fighting stress, fighting active viruses, and activating a response in damaged nerve tissue to heal itself. While viruses are contagious, the resulting symptoms of Bell’s Palsy, such as weakness and paralysis are not considered contagious. However, if a person is diagnosed at home, it is advisable to strengthen the immune system to avoid getting sick with the same virus.
Acupuncture – an effective natural treatment for Bell’s palsy
Acupuncture for bell’s palsy is a safe and effective approach. This ancient Chinese method can stimulate your muscles and nerves, providing immense relief from discomfort and Bell’s Palsy symptoms. Many patients notice improvement just after a session or two. Acupuncture for bell’s palsy can also remarkably reduce stress and anxiety and improve the quality of your life. By placing needles in very particular points in your body, acupuncture can safely and effectively mitigate your Bell’s Palsy symptoms and encourage rapid healing.
According to the research performed by the scientists at Mayo Clinic, acupuncture stimulates nerves and muscles, providing relief to patients. In fact, many experience improvement after just one or two treatments. The key is to find an acupuncture practitioner in your area who is experienced in treating Bell’s palsy. The sooner you start acupuncture sessions, the better.
Homeopathic treatment for bell’s palsy
Homeopathic remedies for Bell’s palsy that belong to a category of home remedies for Bell’s palsy can also be beneficial as a form of home treatment for Bell’s palsy. There are various remedies like Agaricus, Aconitum Napelus, Cocculus, Causticum, Cadmium Sulphuratum, and Platina that can effectively target particular symptoms of Bell’s Palsy. Further, homeopaths carry out an extensive evaluation to get to the core issue for the symptoms before recommending remedies. Through homeopathy, it is certainly possible to find permanent relief from the symptoms. It is also significantly safer and more affordable than conventional approaches.
Meditation
Meditation and relaxation techniques like yoga, guided meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular exercises can also be useful natural treatments for Bell’s palsy. Stress can aggravate the symptoms, and chronic stress can even lead to relapses. Meditation and relaxation methods can be very advantageous in alleviating stress and anxiety and speeding up the recovery process. Yoga, in particular, is a powerful home treatment for Bell’s Palsy. You might want to ask your yoga instructor for Bell’s Palsy yoga poses.
Conclusion
Bell’s palsy development depends on many criteria and in some cases, it could be just a short-term condition that will go away by itself in a few days or it could be a result of a blood circulation issue and may develop into a stroke. A physician diagnoses the severity of Bell’s Palsy by its characteristic symptoms. Bell’s Palsy itself is not a life–threatening condition but it can produce symptoms similar to other more serious causes for facial paralyzes, such as a stroke or tumor. Pharmaceutical medications can help, but they can often have adverse effects. Home and alternative treatments can effectively and safely reduce the symptoms and quicken your recuperation. Usually, full recovery is normally experienced within 1-3 months. If the condition persists, there might be major underlying causes, and it’s imperative that you see a neurologist.
Special attention to this disease is mandatory since it could be secondary to stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, or tumor.
Different forms of home treatment for bell’s palsy are often more effective than the traditional use of antibiotics and steroids. Also, home treatment for bell’s palsy is safe and causes no side effects.
If you are looking for a natural treatment for bell’s palsy and in need to find the right specialist contact Philadelphia Holistic Clinic (267) 284-4305 where all the best holistic providers work under the supervision of Dr. Tsan. We have all holistic treatment techniques under one roof and you can get the best-customized treatment for Bell’s Palsy here. To schedule an appointment with Victor Tsan, MD, and discuss your options using our online secure scheduling system.
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