Bell's Palsy recovery and residual effects
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Bell's Palsy is more common than people think, I suffered from it in January 2015, I woke up to a face that didn't work on the left side. After doing some stroke tests on myself I was confident I had Bell's Palsy. I went to hospital and was prescribed the typical treatment of steroids.
3 weeks later and I had full control of my face again. However I know that being able to move my face did not mean I had fully recovered.
Recovery
Recovery from Bell's Palsy can take months, depending on the severity of the nerve damage. My full recovery took 7 weeks (relatively fast) I know people who have taken 2 months to regain movement.
After you regain movement there are a few things you can do to speed up the recovery process.
Apply a fairly warm compress to the effected side, focus on the area behind your ear and side of the face. Use gentle massage to stimulate the nerves.
Reoccurring attacks are more likely during the recovery process so be sure to stay on the prescribed treatment until you have regained movement for at least 2 weeks.
Residual effects
For those who have had Bell's Palsy the aftereffects can be mild to severe.
In most cases the common problems that follow are twitching and localised weakness (this may come and go) in some cases you may get synkinesis where you involuntary move one part of you face whil meaning to move another foe example, when you smile your eyebrow may move.
Some may get anxiety towards bell's in a way that any twitching or weakness will depress and put the sufferer into a panic, calling for a doctor immediately.
Rest assured that Bell's Palsy is very common and the chance of a reoccurrence is slim, most sufferers will have to deal with Palsy once and only once however if there is going to be a reoccurrence most will get the next attack in 5-10 years of the first.
You can also experience phantom Palsy (not medically named) where past sufferers will cause weakness in the face due to constantly moving it to check if the illness has returned.
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susan25568 DoctorMark
Posted
Thank you for starting this thread; it's helpful to hear about people's long-term effects from Bell's Palsy. I had BP -- actually Ramsay Hunt, because it was triggered by a Shingles outbreak in my ear -- nearly three years ago. I got immediate medical attention and had a full treatment of steroids and antiviral medication, and recovered all facial movement in about 3-4 weeks. I occasionally still get a slight twitch in my lip -- maybe once every couple of months. But now, as I'm in my later 40s, I'm considering a facelift. Can anyone help me understand if I am at a greater risk for nerve damage from a SMAS facelift because of the Bell's Palsy? I can't find a local neurologist who wants to consult with me about this. Thanks.