Bell's palsy is an Idiopathic acute non-suppurative inflammation of the facial nerve within the stylomastoid foramen.

Cause

The one of the most common cause of Bell's palsy is  facial weakness It sometime occur after exposure to cold/chill.

Lesion - A lower motor neuron (Lesion with in facial canal)

Nerve involvement - 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve) Other nerve - 5th, 9th, 10th and C2

Clinical feature - Onset is acute and subacute

Symptoms

• Pain in the root of ear. Sometimes pain around the ear preced the paralysis.
• Inability to - Wrinkled forehead

                                 Closed eye

                                 Moves lips (affected side)

                                 Whistle

• Numbness and stiffness of the cheek(on affected side)
•  During chewing, food may accumulate between the cheek and teeth on affected side.
•  Dribbling of saliva and fluid through the angle of mouth on affected side.
•  Watering from the eye due to eversion of punctum or, due to exposure keratitis.

Examination - voluntary and emotional movement are all lost on the paralyzed side.

• On asking the patient successively to wrinkle the forehead, closing the eyes and to show the teeth it will be observed that on affected side. There is no wrinkling on forehead, there is no closure of eyes and no opening of oral aperture.

•  Affected side of the angle of the mouth  is dropped, nasolabial furrow is flat and blowing of the cheek is not possible. Cheek may not be puffed out during respiraton on paralysed side.

Prognosis - good

recovery start within 3-4 weeks and complete in 3 to 6 month in 70 - 80% cases.

Treatment

• Analgesic-aspirin
• Electric stimulation
• Decompression or nerve grafting operation
• Facial excercise etc,angry face,laughing face
• VitB1 and vitB2
• Steroid may be reduced the inflammation
• Application of facial splint- to prevent over stretching of mouth.

Homoeopathic medicine for Bell's palsy

Gelsemium

Arnica

Causticum

Hypericum

Kali phos

Gelsemium

Complete motor paralysis of functional origin.

Tremor, dullness, dizziness and drowsiness are the keynotes.

Inco-ordination of muscles

Aphonia, dysphagia, speech prostration.

Heaviness of limbs, suffused red face.

Muscular weakness and heaviness of limbs.

Causticum

Paralysis from exposure to the cold of winter.

Paralysis of single parts-face, tongue, pharynx.

Right sided remedy.

Rawness and soreness in affected parts.

Rigidity of flexor tendons.

The selection of homoeopathic remedies based on symptom similarities and doses according to the Susceptibility of patient.

Don't take homoeopathic medicine without any prescription / without any advise of physician