Homeopathy & Bell’s Palsy

Imagine your face showing a painful expression, your speech is difficult, your smile, or frown, is dumb, and you have saliva drooling like a bucketful of water from your mouth. This could give you an idea as to what it is to put up with Bell's palsy, a form of paralysis that affects the facial nerve.

Bell’s palsy is as distressing as it gets — more so, when it ‘hits’ someone out of the blue.

The facial nerve controls the muscles on the side of our face. It allows us to ‘express,’ smile, cry, and wink.

Do you know what makes your eyes blink or cause tears and/or helps you to appreciate the taste of food? Simple. The facial nerve.

WHAT RESEARCH SAYS

The exact cause of Bell's palsy is not known; what we do know is the problem can occur at any age, irrespective of sex, or ethnicity. The disorder affects one in 4,000.

Although the condition improves within weeks to months in some people, it tends to relapse in about 10 per cent of people. When Bell’s palsy affects someone indefinitely, it may cause permanent facial damage or disfigurement.

Diabetics, hypertensives [individuals with high blood pressure], and pregnant women are more likely to be affected as compared to the general population. Emotional stress, environmental stress [e.g., exposure to cold, or cold drafts], physical stress [e.g., trauma] and viral infections are other triggers.

Bell's palsy is characterised by drooping of the face on the affected side. This is often a result of facial nerve malfunction. It is also typified with the inability to control movement in the facial muscles. Other symptoms include taste impairment, difficulty in blinking, tingling sensation, headaches and pain in the neck.

Conventional medicine advocates the use of steroids, or anti-virals, to help reduce infection or inflammation and also speed up the healing process. However, most individuals cannot tolerate them because of side-effects. Individuals who do not improve with medications are advised surgery to relieve the compression of the facial nerve, the most likely cause of Bell’s palsy.

HOMEOPATHY: THE SAFE, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR BELL’S PALSY

Homoeopathy is evidenced to be effective and safe in the treatment of Bell’s palsy. The best part: it has no side-effects. Homeopathy helps to ease pain in Bell’s palsy; it also improves the tone and strength of the facial muscles. It provides long-term results; it helps to avoid the use of the scalpel [surgery].

Homoeopathic treatment for facial, or Bell’s, palsy depends upon one’s personality, their unique symptoms and overall constitution. While your homeopath may prescribe a homeopathic remedy based on injury caused prior to getting Bell's palsy, there is a remedy that is most suitable when there is nerve damage and the jaw begins to lock. When the mouth and face begin to feel stiff, with the patient being sensitive to cold air, your homeopath will likewise prescribe a different remedy.

For optimum results, it is, of course, imperative for one to consult a professional homeopathic physician.

SELF-HELP

• Eat a healthy and balanced diet, rich in leafy, green vegetables
• Do regular exercise
• Get a facial massage; perform facial exercises
• Increase your intake of vitamin B-12, B-6 and zinc supplements for good nerve health
• Keep blood sugar and blood pressure levels under control
• Apply moist heat applications to the paralysed area to reduce pain
• Keep your face warm — wear a scarf, or a jacket, with a hood, because exposure to cold while travelling aggravates the condition
• Drink fruit juice, water or cold drinks, with a straw
• Cut food into small pieces and eat on the side of your mouth that feels comfortable
• Practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation, to beat stress.