{"id":2839,"date":"2019-01-07T07:29:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T07:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=2839"},"modified":"2021-08-03T04:22:49","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T04:22:49","slug":"9-intimidating-bells-palsy-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/9-intimidating-bells-palsy-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Intimidating Bell’s Palsy Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bell\u2019s Palsy is a condition in which the seventh cranial nerve is damaged. This is the facial nerve. If there\u2019s a condition that does not allow signals from the brain to get through to the face, you could experience one side of your face and mouth drooping as the facial muscles are weakened. There is no single cause although it has been linked to stress and high blood pressure – in fact, A-list actress Angelina Jolie admitted that she had been diagnosed with Bell\u2019s Palsy following her Brad Pitt separation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other major causes are usually in the form of a viral or bacterial infection. Often, it affects the passage or canal housing the facial nerve. So much pressure is put on it that this nerve cannot get enough blood, depriving it of the oxygen it needs in order to work properly. Most people make a full recovery in a few weeks or months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Herpes Simplex<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This virus <\/a>is also known as HSP. There are two types of herpes, and most people will have at least one kind – mouth or oral herpes – at least once in their lifetimes. Oral herpes commonly causes cold sores, the blister-like formations on the outside of the mouth or lips. The second kind of herpes is called genital herpes because of the fact that blisters appear in the groin area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herpes in both forms is highly contagious. You can get oral herpes from ordinary things such as sharing utensils or kissing. As long as there is the possibility of contact between an infected person\u2019s mouth and yourself, you could contract the virus. You can also contract genital herpes if someone with oral herpes performs oral sex on you. As many as 95% of people could test positive for the virus, even though they are carrying it latently and have had no outbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Sarcoidosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When bunches of inflamed cells form in various organs, you know you are looking at a case of sarcoidosis<\/a>. The average onset age is between 20 and 40, with more women than men being affected. Most commonly, sarcoidosis affects the lungs. In many cases, you will have no symptoms at first or the symptoms will be so vague that they are difficult to diagnose. If you have sarcoidosis in the lungs, you may have chest pain, wheezing, and a dry cough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no cure for sarcoidosis and it may even disappear on its own. The treatment medication a doctor gives you may last for a few months, a year, to much longer. Usually, there are no complications although when complications do occur, they can be serious. The results can include cataracts, lung infection, glaucoma, renal failure, facial paralysis and heart, and lung collapse. If you are on medication but you develop heart palpitations or a change in your vision, inform your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Lyme Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite being the fifth most reported notifiable disease in the US, it is still woefully underreported in certain states. More than 330 000 cases are logged each year. This is a tick-borne disease that causes havoc as sufferers are often left so fatigued for long periods of time that they can do nothing for themselves, and struggle to explain why this is so. Other symptoms <\/a>include painful joints, fevers, night sweats and of course invasion of the facial nerve, causing night sweats. It is hard to diagnose and there is no set treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famous faces who have had to battle this condition are rocker Avril Lavigne and former supermodel, Yolanda Hadid. Many people end up with a chronic form of the disease because of how hard it is to diagnose. It causes chronic, debilitating fatigue with flu-like symptoms at the beginning that comes and goes. Much more research is needed to treat Lyme disease early to try and stem the different, possibly chronic, forms of the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Chronic Middle Ear Infection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have a middle ear infection, it means the area right behind your eardrum is inflamed. You may have an earache, a feeling of your ear being \u2018full\u2019 and fluid drained from your ear. If this occurs regularly it is a chronic infection<\/a>. If it does not clear up, it can cause damage to the ear. The blockage is due to the Eustachian tubes being blocked. They run from the ear to the back of the throat, which is why if you see a sinus or ear specialist, that doctor is usually called the \u2018ear, nose and throat specialist\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In severe cases, the infection is not confined to one ear but besets both ears. The most severe cases can lead to hearing loss and affect the cranial nerve in the face. Mostly, Eustachian tube blockage is caused by allergies, sinus infections, excess mucus, swollen adenoids and changes in air pressure that are quite quick. This is why you should see a doctor if you experience ear problems when flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Viral Meningitis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like the herpes simplex virus, viral meningitis <\/a>is an infection that can cause the facial nerve to swell. Inflammation puts pressure on the facial nerve, and the swelling causes damage or constriction and interrupts correct messaging from the brain to the facial muscles. Pressure on the facial nerve or any other nerve is always risky, as it can lead to ischemia. Ischemia restricts blood to the nerve cells, and consequently, these nerve cells do not get enough oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viral meningitis is the most common type, but luckily, it is not life-threatening. Meningitis is so-called because it affects the Menges, or membrane protecting the brain and spinal cord. There are several bacterial variations that cause meningitis. Listeria is one of them, and this is why it\u2019s so important to curb outbreaks. It is also why pregnant women are often advised not to eat processed meats, where the disease is found. It is also found in certain cheeses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. High Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The link between persistent hypertension and Bell\u2019s Palsy was identified more than 150 years ago. However, at that time, it was confined to being just a good theory as there was no accurate way to measure blood pressure<\/a>. There are only a handful of published studies on patients with severe hypertension and facial weakness in adults, but doctors have since found that this is more often than not a contributing factor in Bell\u2019s Palsy, even if it is not a main, underlying cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How exactly high blood pressure impacts the facial nerve is still unclear, but this cranial nerve is thought to be particularly vulnerable to injury brought on by hypertension. The facial canal is a narrow, enclosed space through which this nerve runs. Bleeding, edema and oxygen deprivation are therefore easy points of injury in this canal, which can do damage to the nerve and cause the partial facial paralysis that is the main symptom of Bell\u2019s Palsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. Tumors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tumors <\/a>and different cancers can affect the facial nerve either directly or indirectly. A tumor comes from the Latin word for \u2018swelling\u2019 and is used to describe any unusual swelling or lump. A tumor can be cancerous or benign (non-cancerous) and solid or fluid-filled. A tumor that specifically affects the tissue surrounding the nerves is called a schwannoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tumor can cause Bell\u2019s palsy in one of three ways. It can directly surround and involve the facial nerve, causing the nerve to constrict or causing other damage to it. Even if a tumor doesn\u2019t directly it the nerve, it can still put enormous pressure on it by being close to the nerve. Removing a tumor close to the facial nerve can also be risky – in some cases, there will be no option but to cause minimally invasive damage to the actual nerve. This way the preservation of the whole system becomes optimally effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. Guillain-Barre Syndrome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This disorder of the nerves is also known as GBS. It is a rare disorder in which the nerves are attacked by the immune system<\/a>. At the onset, you may feel weak in your limbs and experience tingling. It can spread very quickly and paralyze the whole body, which is why upon diagnosis you should preferably be admitted to the ER. Usually, GBS is preceded by an infectious disease such as the flu or a virus. The exact cause of GBS isn\u2019t known. You are likely to recover in full, especially if it is caught early, although there may be lingering effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three main kinds of GBS. One is AIDP, which is the most common form. You will experience muscle weakness which travels upwards through your body. MFS is another kind, affects only 5% of people in the US but considerably more in Asia. Here you will experience eye paralysis first and usually have an unsteady gait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

9. Tuberculosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tuberculosis<\/a>, being a bacterial infection, can cause inflammation of the facial nerve and weakening of the muscles. TB is spread when someone with the bacteria coughs, sneezes laughs, spits or otherwise transfers the disease. The bacteria is an airborne pathogen, meaning it can spread from person to person through the air. It is contagious but is not easy to catch. If it were, it would be one of the worst global emergencies as an infected person can typically spread the bacteria to 10 or 15 people. You can be infected without showing any symptoms, in which case you have latent TB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TB affects the lungs and causes a horrible, wheezing cough that lingers. TB is the second biggest killer of its kind globally, that meaning the kind of single bacterial agent that spreads through infection. Vaccines are effective but in some countries, the disease has developed to such an extent that it has become drug-resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

<\/div>