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Facial neuralgia
Can you take a bath with facial neuritis?
Bell's palsy is caused by a decrease in the body's resistance, leading to damage in the face following viral infection and the resultant cleaning. This results in a series of clinical symptoms primarily on the affected side of the face. Therefore, regarding the symptoms of Bell's palsy, whether in the acute phase or during recovery, bathing generally poses no major issue. However, in the acute phase, some treatments recommend antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies, along with diets aimed at eliminating free radicals, and the application of topical plasters, which generally should not be exposed to water. If the plasters become wet, their effectiveness may be minimal or nullified. Therefore, personal circumstances should be considered.
How to Treat Facial Neuritis
Bell's palsy, once diagnosed, needs to be treated as early as possible, with better outcomes the earlier treatment is started. If the patient does not have any significant contraindications, corticosteroids should be used in the early stages. Common treatments include oral prednisone, typically for about ten days, or dexamethasone intravenous infusion, typically for about five to seven days. Alongside anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, nerve nourishment can be addressed with muscle injections of vitamin B1 and vitamin B12, and patients with better economic conditions can also use mouse nerve growth factor for muscle injection nerve nourishment. Additionally, if the patient has significant pain behind the ear, indicating a possible viral infection, concurrent treatment with acyclovir antiviral therapy should be administered. Later, if recovery is poor, rehabilitative treatment can be provided, including electro-acupuncture physical therapy, infrared magnetic heating, etc., all of which can promote the recovery of Bell's palsy. The overall treatment course approximately takes about 20 days, with total recovery time ranging from 20 days to two months. (Note: Medication should be used under the guidance of a physician, based on the actual conditions.)
Can facial neuritis be cured?
Facial neuritis is a relatively common disease in neurology. It is mainly caused by viral infection or other nonspecific inflammatory reactions, leading to local inflammation of the facial nerve, which results in edema of the facial nerve and clinical manifestations caused by compression within the facial nerve canal. The main symptoms include shallower furrows on the affected side of the forehead, weakness in opening and closing the eyes, drooping and skewing of the mouth corner, drooling, weakness in puffing the cheeks, and air leakage when puffing the cheeks. Most patients with facial neuritis have a good prognosis, as long as the diagnosis is clear and appropriate treatment is administered in a timely manner, such as treatment with corticosteroids and B vitamins. If it is caused by a viral infection, appropriate antiviral treatment is given, and most patients can fully recover in about three months. If the condition is severe at the onset, or if the patient has risk factors such as diabetes, the prognosis is not very good. Overall, most people with facial neuritis recover well.
What should be paid attention to in daily life with facial neuritis?
If facial neuritis occurs, one should pay attention to eye care. Due to facial neuritis, eyelid closure may be incomplete, potentially allowing foreign objects or infections to enter the eye. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce outdoor activities, keep the eyes clean, and during social interactions, cover the affected eye with an eye patch or apply ophthalmic ointment to prevent conjunctival or corneal infections, while minimizing eye use. Regarding diet, some patients may experience disturbances in taste, so it is important to be mindful of the temperature of food, avoid hard food, and maintain oral hygiene.
Can facial neuritis be cured?
Patients with incomplete facial paralysis may recover or heal within one to two months, while those with complete facial paralysis generally need two to eight months, or even a year to recover, often leaving sequelae. Recovery of taste within a week indicates a good prognosis. Young patients have a better prognosis, while elderly patients with mastoid pain, diabetes, hypertension, cerebral arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and other conditions have a poorer prognosis. We generally use electromyography (EMG) to examine and predict outcomes. If a patient with complete facial paralysis shows an M-wave amplitude in the affected area's EMG action potentials that is 30% or more of the normal value within seven days of the illness, they may fully recover within two months. If optic nerve potentials appear within ten days after the onset of the illness, the recovery tends to be slow.
What department should I go to for facial neuritis?
Facial neuritis is a nonspecific inflammatory response of the facial nerve, which causes paralysis of the facial nerve, leading to paralysis of the facial muscles it controls. Facial neuritis is treated in the neurology department of many hospitals, so registration for facial neuritis should be done under neurology. Neurologists will make necessary diagnoses based on the patient's clinical symptoms, then prescribe relevant auxiliary examinations to rule out other conditions, such as facial neuritis caused by Guillain-Barre syndrome, and exclude facial paralysis caused by cranial ocupations. Additionally, some hospitals' maxillofacial surgery departments also treat facial neuritis, so one could also visit maxillofacial surgery for treatment. Overall, facial neuritis is primarily managed in neurology departments, though in some hospitals, it can also be managed in neurosurgery departments. Treatment for facial neuritis mainly involves administration of corticosteroids and B vitamins, such as vitamin B1, B6, and B12.
Can people with facial neuritis drink alcohol?
If facial neuritis occurs, one should not drink alcohol, as alcohol itself has a significant damaging effect on nerves. Patients who drink alcohol long-term can experience damage to peripheral nerves, such as numbness and weakness in the limbs. Since facial neuritis is essentially a form of peripheral neuritis, alcohol can damage the facial nerve, hence patients with facial neuritis should not drink alcohol. Patients with facial neuritis need timely treatment, which mainly includes the use of corticosteroids to suppress immune inflammatory responses and reduce facial nerve edema, significantly shortening the course of the disease; in addition, some vitamin B drugs can be used for treatment; physical therapy, rehabilitation training, acupuncture, etc., also play a role in the recovery from facial neuritis. In summary, patients with facial neuritis absolutely should not drink alcohol, as it damages the facial nerve.
What should be paid attention to with facial neuritis?
Bell's palsy is caused by a decrease in the body's resistance, resulting in damage to the facial nerve. This damage presents clinically as symptoms of viral infection. Therefore, precautions should be based on its cause and clinical symptoms. In terms of causes, patients should enhance their resistance, engage in more physical exercise, consume foods that eliminate free radicals, and enhance their diet with high-quality protein. When going out, avoid cold exposure, wind, and re-infection. In terms of treatment, patients should adhere to medical advice and take oral medications on time. Additionally, after treatment, rehabilitation should be emphasized to prevent residual symptoms. Thus, the symptoms of Bell's palsy involve a range of conditions.
Facial neuritis requires the use of steroids.
Bell's palsy, or facial neuritis, is caused by stimulation or viral infection of the facial nerves, leading to facial nerve paralysis. This generally refers to peripheral facial neuritis. Early treatment includes antiviral, anti-inflammatory, nerve nourishment, and free radical scavenging. Therefore, early treatment of facial neuritis requires steroid therapy, commonly using oral prednisone. The dosage is determined by body weight, at 1 milligram per kilogram, taken orally for a week, then discontinued. The next step in the treatment plan involves acupuncture and physical therapy. (Use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)
How is facial neuritis best treated?
The treatment of facial neuritis primarily aims to improve local blood circulation, alleviate facial nerve edema, relieve nerve compression, and promote the recovery of nerve function. Therefore, its treatment includes medication, which mainly nourishes the nerves, and may also involve antiviral drugs and corticosteroids. Physiotherapy, particularly post-acute phase, can include acupuncture or infrared radiation and local heat application. Eye protection is also necessary because patients with facial neuritis may not be able to fully close their eyelids, leaving the cornea exposed and susceptible to infection. Finally, rehabilitation treatment includes acupuncture, which is also part of the mentioned physiotherapy.