Bell's Palsy
Bell's palsy, also known as idiopathic palsy, is a temporary
weakening of the facial nerve. Symptoms include facial
paralysis or weakness, numbness, and, sometimes, dry
eyes or mouth. The condition can also cause intense facial
pain. Bell's palsy affects about 40,000 Americans a year,
most commonly people between twenty and thirty-five
years old. The cause is not well understood, but the onset is
often associated with a viral infection, particularly primary
infection with herpes simplex type 1, autoimmune disease,
or Lyme disease. It develops suddenly; sometimes it is
preceded several hours beforehand by pain behind the ear on
the affected side. Over 85 percent of the people who
develop Bell's palsy recover in a year or less, and fewer
than 20 percent suffer recurrences.
One of the more disconcerting aspects of Bell's palsy
is its effect on expression. Even in mild cases, the
eyebrows may not lift symmetrically, and it may be
impossible to smile and show your teeth. In other cases, the
condition causes autonomic synkinesis, or "crocodile tears"-
spontaneous crying with no emotional stimulus.
Many conditions besides Bell's palsy, some of them
serious, can cause facial paralysis. For this reason, it is essential
to avoid self-diagnosis of this condition. Because there is no
specific test for this disorder, doctors generally diagnose it
by eliminating other potential causes of symptoms, such as
middle ear and parotid infections, stroke,
cancer, mumps,
and Lyme disease. Once Bell's palsy is diagnosed, various
medication treatments may be used. Herbs can increase the
effectiveness of these treatments and relieve specific symptoms.
Supplements and herbs
- Cloves. Essential oil. Take 5-10 drops in
1/4 cup water 3 times daily.
Increases the effectiveness of acyclovir (Zovirax).
- Kudzu. Tablets. Take 10 mg 3 times daily.
Relieves muscle tension in the muscles of the face and neck not affected by palsy.
- Licorice. Glycyrrhizin tablets. Take 200-800 mg daily, depending on severity
of symptoms. Use for 6 weeks; then take a 2-week break. Do not substitute deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL).
Prevents progression of palsy to paralysis; stops "crocodile tears." Consume
potassium-rich foods such as
bananas or citrus juices, or take a potassium
supplement daily when taking this herb.
What else you can do
- Do not delay treatment. The best time to start
prescription medication treatment is during the first seventy-two hours
after symptoms begin. The longer treatment is delayed, the
more helpful herbs are as complements to prescribed
medication.
- Practice proper eye care. Your doctor will probably
prescribe eye drops for use during the day, ointment for use at
bedtime, and a goggle like moisture chamber to be worn
during the night. Do not scratch the cornea by patching or
taping the eye itself. One easy way to keep an eye moist is
to place a small piece of plastic wrap over the eye and
apply it to the face with hairnet tape.
- Some physicians prescribe a combination of an
antiviral medication, acyclovir (Zovirax), with a steroid hormone,
prednisone (Deltasone), for the treatment of Bell's palsy.
Prednisone has potential side effects, among them high
blood pressure, which can worsen the disease. If there is a
question as to whether prednisone will be beneficial in
your case, and your doctor has not prescribed it, try taking
licorice for one month. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin,
which complements acyclovir in the same way prednisone
does, but with fewer side effects. Monitor your blood
pressure at least once a week when taking either licorice or
prednisone, and inform your doctor if you have two or
more consecutive readings over 140/90.
- Preexisting high blood pressure prolongs Bell's palsy
and increases the risk it will recur. Check your blood
pressure regularly. If you have readings exceeding 140/90 on
two or more occasions, begin a program of blood pressure control.
- Electrical stimulation treatments, which may be offered
to people with Bell's palsy as a possible therapy,
unfortunately do not seem to correct this condition. There are even
some indications that electrical stimulation can cause
further nerve damage and delay healing.
- For reasons that are not entirely understood, Bell's
palsy is extremely common in the Chinese city of
Kumming, and acupuncturists in Kumming have developed
extremely effective approaches to treating the disease.
These approaches involve the technique of "pause and
regress", in which needles are inserted, withdrawn, and
replaced on acupuncture points over the parts of the face
served by the facial nerve. Usually acupuncture is started
on the side of the face that is not affected by palsy. It usually
takes two weeks of daily treatment to see changes in symptoms.
More useful herbs
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