Neuropathy of the facial nerve is a disease in which one of the verteuses of the facial nerve becomes inflamed. In this case there is paresis and even paralysis of the facial muscles. There is a neuropathy, both the right and left facial nerve. This disease has no specific age-related predilections and can occur in the elderly as well as in young people.
Symptoms of facial nerve neuropathy
The following symptoms are typical for this disease:
- the muscles of one side of the face paralyze;
- the face becomes asymmetric;
- there is pain in the ear ;
- hearing deterioration worsens or development of hypersensitivity to sounds causing discomfort;
- problems with the eyes - increased lacrimation or dry eyes;
- changes the taste sensitivity.
Complete and partial paralysis of the nerve is usually manifested as follows:
- Nasolabial folds on the sick side of the face are constantly smoothed;
- when eating, food can fall and stay between the cheek and gum, and water pour out through the corner of the mouth;
- while closing the eyes on the diseased side does not close, but the eyeball rolls up;
- when talking, the cheek from the side of the damaged nerve can be inflated.
Causes of Neuropathy of the Facial Nerve
The causes of neuritis of the facial nerve can be:
- hypothermia of the muscles;
- severe stress ;
- infectious disease (herpes);
- inflammatory reactions.
Treatment of facial nerve neuropathy
Compression-ischemic neuropathy of the facial nerve, as a rule, does not disappear itself and therefore requires treatment. The first thing you can do yourself is a special massage for the face. It is very important, as it helps to avoid the asymmetry of the face, which arises from the uneven work of the muscles. In combination with a massage, pharmacoprocedures and acupuncture can be prescribed to you.
If the positive effect of these methods of treatment is not large enough, then additionally designate several drugs that relieve muscle inflammation, calm the nervous system, and also have a general strengthening effect on the body.
This is especially true in the case of acute facial nerve neuropathy, when the patient can even lose consciousness from pain and tension. Drug treatment is carried out with drugs that have the following effects:
- relieve inflammation (corticosteroids, for example, prednisolone);
- neutralize spasms and narrow vessels;
- fight against viruses (eg, acyclovir).
If, with neuritis, the eyes suffer from the drying out of the conjunctiva, special drops are prescribed to avoid this phenomenon.
With the help of such versatile treatment it is possible to eliminate inflammatory processes and restore muscle activity.
In addition to treating neuritis directly, it is also necessary to perform treatment for the underlying cause of the disease, if it is, for example, a cold or an infectious disease.
How to prevent diseases of the facial nerve?
Here are some tips on how to avoid neuritis of the facial nerve:
- Often the neuropathy of the facial nerve arises from a conventional conditioner, when in the hot season it constantly works on cooling. Therefore, it is necessary to think over the location of this device in terms of the least impact on the body.
- It is very important not to allow strong emotional overloads, as they are the cause of many diseases. If your life is full of stressful situations, then try to change something, so that your lifestyle becomes more measured and calm.
- Be careful to avoid craniocereberal injuries.
- Avoid and timely treat infectious, colds, arterial hypertension.