The intriguing facial paralysis of the stars
May 21st 2008 09:55
George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan, and Katie Holmes have all been affected by Bell's palsy. Bell's palsy (a type of facial palsy) is the rapid paralysis of one side of the face with an unknown cause, usually coming on in a single day. Most people recover spontaneously and achieve near-normal functions with drug therapy. Many show signs of improvement as early as 10 days after the onset, even without any treatment.
Most people either wake up to find they have Bells palsy, or have symptoms such as a dry eye or tingling around their lips that progress to classic Bell's palsy during that same day. Occasionally symptoms may take a few days to be recognizable as Bells palsy. The degree of paralysis should peak within several days of onset - never in longer than 2 weeks (3 weeks maximum for Ramsey Hunt syndrome). A warning sign may be neck pain, or pain in or behind the ear prior to palsy, but it is not usually recognized in first-time cases.
Bell's palsy is not permanent and is equally likely to occur on either side of the face. It is possible to have bilateral Bells palsy (both sides of the face), but it's rare, accounting for less than 1% of cases.
Older people are more likely to be afflicted, but children are not immune to it. Children tend to recover well. Diabetics are more than 4 times more likely to develop Bells palsy than the general population. The last trimester of pregnancy is considered to be a time of increased risk for Bell's palsy. Conditions that compromise the immune system such as HIV or sarcoidosis increase the odds of facial paralysis occurring and recurring.
Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion (by elimination of other reasonable possibilities) and is commonly referred to as idiopathic or cryptogenic, meaning no specific cause can be ascertained. Brain tumors, stroke and Lyme disease can all cause facial paralysis, as can meningitis, diabetes mellitus, head trauma and inflammatory diseases of the cranial nerves (sarcoidosis, brucellosis, etc.), however if no specific cause can be identified the condition is diagnosed generally as Bell's palsy. Being a residual diagnostic category, the Bell's Palsy diagnosis likely spans different conditions which our current level of medical knowledge cannot distinguish.
No readily identifiable cause for Bell's palsy has been found, but clinical and experimental evidence suggests herpes simplex type 1 infection may play a role. Reactivation of existing (dormant) viral conditions like Epstein-Barr due to stress hay also trigger episodes of Bell's palsy. Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and anti-viral drugs (prednisone and acyclovir). Generally surgery to decompress the facial nerve is not beneficial.
Bell's palsy results in the inability to control facial muscles on the side affected by the paralyzed facial nerve. The condition is characterized by facial "drooping" on the affected half which impacts on a number of functions including: blinking and closing the eyes, smiling frowning, lacrimation, salivation, taste, and middle ear muscles.
It is thought that as a result of inflammation of the facial nerve, pressure is produced on the nerve where it exits the skull within its bony canal, blocking the transmission of neural signals or damaging the nerve.
Regardless of the trigger, Bell's palsy is best described as an event-trauma to the nerve. As with any other injury, healing follows. The quality and duration of recovery is dependent on the severity of the initial injury. If the nerve has suffered nothing more than a mild trauma, recovery can be very fast, taking several days to several weeks. A typical recovery is likely to take between a few weeks and a few months. The nerve can continue to regenerate for 18 months, probably even longer. Improvement of appearance can continue beyond that time frame. Approximately 50% of Bells palsy patients will have essentially complete recoveries in a short time. Another 35% will have good recoveries in less than a year.
A significant number of cases are misdiagnosed and a large number of cases are not referred by physicians to specialists. A physicians may simply test whether a patient is able to wrinkle their forehead to differentiate between a brain problem (able) and a facial nerve problem (unable). To rule out Lyme disease a blood-test for anti-bodies must be used.
If paralysis occurs in body parts other than the face the cause of the symptoms is not Bell's palsy and further testing must be done.
Most people either wake up to find they have Bells palsy, or have symptoms such as a dry eye or tingling around their lips that progress to classic Bell's palsy during that same day. Occasionally symptoms may take a few days to be recognizable as Bells palsy. The degree of paralysis should peak within several days of onset - never in longer than 2 weeks (3 weeks maximum for Ramsey Hunt syndrome). A warning sign may be neck pain, or pain in or behind the ear prior to palsy, but it is not usually recognized in first-time cases.
Bell's palsy is not permanent and is equally likely to occur on either side of the face. It is possible to have bilateral Bells palsy (both sides of the face), but it's rare, accounting for less than 1% of cases.
Older people are more likely to be afflicted, but children are not immune to it. Children tend to recover well. Diabetics are more than 4 times more likely to develop Bells palsy than the general population. The last trimester of pregnancy is considered to be a time of increased risk for Bell's palsy. Conditions that compromise the immune system such as HIV or sarcoidosis increase the odds of facial paralysis occurring and recurring.
Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion (by elimination of other reasonable possibilities) and is commonly referred to as idiopathic or cryptogenic, meaning no specific cause can be ascertained. Brain tumors, stroke and Lyme disease can all cause facial paralysis, as can meningitis, diabetes mellitus, head trauma and inflammatory diseases of the cranial nerves (sarcoidosis, brucellosis, etc.), however if no specific cause can be identified the condition is diagnosed generally as Bell's palsy. Being a residual diagnostic category, the Bell's Palsy diagnosis likely spans different conditions which our current level of medical knowledge cannot distinguish.
No readily identifiable cause for Bell's palsy has been found, but clinical and experimental evidence suggests herpes simplex type 1 infection may play a role. Reactivation of existing (dormant) viral conditions like Epstein-Barr due to stress hay also trigger episodes of Bell's palsy. Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and anti-viral drugs (prednisone and acyclovir). Generally surgery to decompress the facial nerve is not beneficial.
Bell's palsy results in the inability to control facial muscles on the side affected by the paralyzed facial nerve. The condition is characterized by facial "drooping" on the affected half which impacts on a number of functions including: blinking and closing the eyes, smiling frowning, lacrimation, salivation, taste, and middle ear muscles.
It is thought that as a result of inflammation of the facial nerve, pressure is produced on the nerve where it exits the skull within its bony canal, blocking the transmission of neural signals or damaging the nerve.
Regardless of the trigger, Bell's palsy is best described as an event-trauma to the nerve. As with any other injury, healing follows. The quality and duration of recovery is dependent on the severity of the initial injury. If the nerve has suffered nothing more than a mild trauma, recovery can be very fast, taking several days to several weeks. A typical recovery is likely to take between a few weeks and a few months. The nerve can continue to regenerate for 18 months, probably even longer. Improvement of appearance can continue beyond that time frame. Approximately 50% of Bells palsy patients will have essentially complete recoveries in a short time. Another 35% will have good recoveries in less than a year.
A significant number of cases are misdiagnosed and a large number of cases are not referred by physicians to specialists. A physicians may simply test whether a patient is able to wrinkle their forehead to differentiate between a brain problem (able) and a facial nerve problem (unable). To rule out Lyme disease a blood-test for anti-bodies must be used.
If paralysis occurs in body parts other than the face the cause of the symptoms is not Bell's palsy and further testing must be done.
| 77 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
You know, when I first read your title I thought you might be talking about botox, and the way it freezes the muscles on the face in making them appear smoother!
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Mis
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
well theres a medical reason for a few of them! haha
i suspect the Bells palsy affected those three stars in their youth and they recovered before they hit the big time, but if anyone has any further info feel free to share!
Comment by Cheryl J
Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Great post Morgan.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
you know all the good trivia!
i always thought katie holmes had a bit of a lazy eye but i couldnt really tell with the others