Bells Palsy - How to recover your facial muscles from bells palsy

Bells This is my story about how I am coping with Bells Palsy. I've had multiple attacks of Bells, so it is much worse than most of you first timers. Please remember to check with your Doctor. or Specialist concerning any treatments you may choose.

The first time I had Bells in was in my early 20's and it came and went in about 45 days.

The second time as almost 10 years to the day. In 2001 I came down with Bells Palsy and as of March 2005 I had only regained about 85% back.

I can truly say I was really down and depressed. I have chatted with other who have had Bells twice, three times even eight times and I thought I had been down before but not like this.

This site is here to give you the info I have found and my fight to regain the ability to smile, eat and speak like a normally.

I believe STRESS is the main factor in my case. If Bells is truly caused due a Viral Infection then STRESS is a key. I have been unable to control the STRESS levels in my life recently. It seems to be one thing after another with no end in sight.

I have links to local (Orange County) Dr. Annis chiropractor and Kathie Albertson, L.Ac. acupuncturist who have done a great job in helping me in my recovery process.

I am starting my recovery all over again and trying to stay positive and believe I can get back to 100%.

Thanks for visiting.

Jason

Question: Has anyone had a steroid shot in their face? If so, did it help? Please email me or touch base using yahoo messenger "jasonscheer"

Long-time Bells Sufferers?

My Motto - Believe "Positive Thinking"

Contact Me and let me know how you are doing

Celebrity that had Bells and Overcame it - George Clooney - While George was in church one day back in his teenage years, his face got a little numb. At lunch the same day he tried to drink milk and it just dribbled right down his face. Turns out that for a whole year George suffered from a disease called Bells palsy. Poor George :o{ If you have ever seen Return of the Killer Tomatoes , there's a seen in which George's character Matt is sitting in a chair eating a candy bar. You can see his eye twitching wildly and although I am not completely positive I bet it's because of his childhood disease. I heard this on a program the other day plus I did some research on the Web!

Staying Positive: Check Out my pic with Tony Sirico (Peter Gualtieri, Sopranos Capo)

Enlarge

New Link:
Johnny Cash's song "Hurt" Check the video out here.

Positive Poem:

The world is what you think it is
There are no limits, everything is possible
Energy flows where attention goes
now is the moment of power
To love is to be happy
All power comes from within

Laws of Life Articulated
By Hawaiian Shaman Serge Kahili King

Thank you and Get Well Soon.

Jason

Here are some general notes about Bells Palsy:

What is Bell's Palsy?
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from damage to the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. This nerve disorder afflicts approximately 40,000 Americans each year. It can strike almost anyone at any age; however, it disproportionately attacks pregnant women and people who have diabetes, influenza, a cold, or some other upper respiratory ailment. In addition to one-sided facial paralysis with possible inability to close the eye, symptoms of Bell's palsy may include pain, tearing, drooling, hypersensitivity to sound in the affected ear, and impairment of taste. Researchers in Japan identified the common cold sore virus, herpes simplex, as the likely cause of most cases of Bell's palsy.

Is there any treatment?
Recent studies (Neurology 2001 Apr 10;56(7):830-836) have shown that steroids are probably effective and that the drug acyclovir (combined with predisone) is possibly effective in improving facial function. Other treatments are usually aimed at protecting the eye from drying at nighttime. Some physicians may prescribe a corticosteroid drug to help reduce inflammation and an analgesic to relieve pain.

What is the prognosis?
The prognosis for Bell's palsy is generally very good. With or without treatment, most patients begin to get significantly better within 2 weeks, and about 80 percent recover completely within 3 months. For some, however, the symptoms may last longer. In a few cases, the symptoms may never completely disappear.

*DISCLAIMER The intent of this website is to provide a general background about Bell's palsy, and to help define areas the reader may choose to further investigate. It is based on extensive research, but the timeliness and accuracy of information obtained cannot be guaranteed. The site is not an attempt to practice medicine. It can not used as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment, nor should this information override any decisions made with a qualified health care provider. All readers are strongly advised to consult with a qualified health care professional You assume full responsibility for use of the information at this site, and agree that the authors and contributors to the Bell's Palsy Information Site, its associated information, pages and links hold no liability to you for claims, damages, costs and expenses, legal fees, or any other costs incurred due to or in any way related to your reliance on anything derived from this web site or its contents.