Bell's Palsy - How long for recovery to start?
Discussion
Assuming that someone who gets Bell's Palsy manages to get to a hospital, and get the appropriate steroids quickly, how long should it be before improvement really starts to take effect?
Searches are not really finding anything useful; lots of 'should begin' and 'may fully recover...
While I remember, what actually causes it? or increases the risk, if known?
Searches are not really finding anything useful; lots of 'should begin' and 'may fully recover...
While I remember, what actually causes it? or increases the risk, if known?
I had it in 2012, i was 19 at the time.
It must have taken 6/7/8 weeks roughly for things to sort out themselves.
For around 6 months my right eye wouldn't close properly, even when sneezing! I probably should have went to the doctors back then but i never. A friends mum told me it was likely to be Bells palsy and said it should clear up on its own.
I was in between changing jobs when it came on, guessing the stress/excitement of it all was a factor!
It must have taken 6/7/8 weeks roughly for things to sort out themselves.
For around 6 months my right eye wouldn't close properly, even when sneezing! I probably should have went to the doctors back then but i never. A friends mum told me it was likely to be Bells palsy and said it should clear up on its own.
I was in between changing jobs when it came on, guessing the stress/excitement of it all was a factor!
Thanks for the help.
Treatments are still steroids.. Course now finished with no discernible improvement yet, hence the original question.
MRI is booked in.
It's all very weird.
No pain, thankfully.
Blinking sometimes works on both eyes, but not always, so affected eye over-waters.
I've had to buy a baseball peaked cap as that eye doesn't squint up in the sun as it should.
Eating and drinking is inconvenient and my tongue feels unusual, and I can't seem to tolerate food / drink at my normal high temperatures, for tea/coffee etc.
I have to over enunciate in order not to slur when talking, whch is not helping the sore throat left over from Covid...
I look like I'm snarling when I'm actually smiling, so what little remains of acting/modelling is stuffed for the foreseeable future.
Treatments are still steroids.. Course now finished with no discernible improvement yet, hence the original question.
MRI is booked in.
It's all very weird.
No pain, thankfully.
Blinking sometimes works on both eyes, but not always, so affected eye over-waters.
I've had to buy a baseball peaked cap as that eye doesn't squint up in the sun as it should.
Eating and drinking is inconvenient and my tongue feels unusual, and I can't seem to tolerate food / drink at my normal high temperatures, for tea/coffee etc.
I have to over enunciate in order not to slur when talking, whch is not helping the sore throat left over from Covid...
I look like I'm snarling when I'm actually smiling, so what little remains of acting/modelling is stuffed for the foreseeable future.
I had it about ten years ago, in my late-30s. Started with a tingling sensation one afternoon down one side of my chin and around the side of my mouth. Went to the doctors early the next day, with tingling down the side of my face and slightly slurring words, steroids started immediately.
The quick start to treatment limited the palsy. I had trouble speaking clearly for a few days, and had to sleep with a patch on my eye for about two weeks, but had all cleared up within a month, with no lasting after-effects.
The quick start to treatment limited the palsy. I had trouble speaking clearly for a few days, and had to sleep with a patch on my eye for about two weeks, but had all cleared up within a month, with no lasting after-effects.
Wife had it about 8 years ago, she was 32 at the time, half her face dropped similar to a stroke. Took her about 3 months to recover and she was signed off from work for 8 weeks ish. Does seem to have affected her permanently though as when she's particularly tired, half her face can sometimes look more tired than the other half.
Dad had this a year ago and ambulance to hospital.
In hospital for a month - he had blurred vision and this still persists today (naturally that means driving Is not possible).
It happened after an appointment in the dentist and they believe something happened to a nerve which then triggered something at the back of his eye (& speech from memory).
Visually the eye has improved from last year but looking at dad you’d clearly notice a “drop”. We’ve no idea when or if that will recover.
Dads in old age but is fit and walks all the time normally 8 miles every day.
In hospital for a month - he had blurred vision and this still persists today (naturally that means driving Is not possible).
It happened after an appointment in the dentist and they believe something happened to a nerve which then triggered something at the back of his eye (& speech from memory).
Visually the eye has improved from last year but looking at dad you’d clearly notice a “drop”. We’ve no idea when or if that will recover.
Dads in old age but is fit and walks all the time normally 8 miles every day.
Dad had it 45 years ago. Affected him pretty badly as his left side of his face froze and he couldn't close one eye . He had great difficulty with eating and drinking and being an RAF musician he couldn't play any wind instruments.
It took about 3 weeks for facial movement to start to recover and a couple of months to return to near normality.
My youngest sister was only 8 at the time and was scared and upset by the look of my dad at the time . This really upset dad at the time .
It took about 3 weeks for facial movement to start to recover and a couple of months to return to near normality.
My youngest sister was only 8 at the time and was scared and upset by the look of my dad at the time . This really upset dad at the time .
Weird, i know 2 people who have had this in 40 years up until about a month ago, then 3 people all got it in the last 5 weeks!
All 3 commuters to London, and all who've been out in the regions since March.
Is this something you "catch" or that goes around, so to speak? A lad i know had it 20 years ago took years to recover and you can still see he had it. The guy i know who caught it 3 years ago was off work for 6 weeks and looked perfect afterwards.
All 3 commuters to London, and all who've been out in the regions since March.
Is this something you "catch" or that goes around, so to speak? A lad i know had it 20 years ago took years to recover and you can still see he had it. The guy i know who caught it 3 years ago was off work for 6 weeks and looked perfect afterwards.
I had it about 6 or 7 years ago. It was mis-diagnosed by a GP (I was on holiday at the time) and so it was about 5 days later before I took myself to A&E.
They have me a perception for steroids and sent me on my way.
I was fortunate in that my symptoms weren’t too bad (for instance, I could still blink), and I recovered from having a lop-sided kind of look and struggling to drink from a bottle without spilling anything in a few weeks. I didn’t have any time off work.
I have subsequently read how important it is to start the course of steroids as soon as possible, so I was definitely lucky.
They have me a perception for steroids and sent me on my way.
I was fortunate in that my symptoms weren’t too bad (for instance, I could still blink), and I recovered from having a lop-sided kind of look and struggling to drink from a bottle without spilling anything in a few weeks. I didn’t have any time off work.
I have subsequently read how important it is to start the course of steroids as soon as possible, so I was definitely lucky.
I had it in 1998. I didn't get to the GP quickly enough for steroids to be worth trying as they need to be administered as soon after onset as possible. To this day my facial muscles are asymmetric except in repose. If I smile it is clearly lop-sided and also to this day my left eye sometimes waters while I'm eating. I cannot whistle now either - some say that's a Good Thing! Substantial recovery took a month or two, with most of the remainder taking up to a year. Current remnants notwithstanding.
stackmonkey said:
Kind of reassuring, everyone, thanks.
I have a small amount of mouth / cheek movement back, and some blinking has returned, which has helped to reduce anxiety about it.
That sounds good. In my mother's case blinking took a few weeks to come back. I have a small amount of mouth / cheek movement back, and some blinking has returned, which has helped to reduce anxiety about it.
I remember we had a family get together planned a month after her getting it, and she was concerned about going with her face half drooping. By the time it came round it was only prominent when she smiled.
I also know a guy at my last place of work who's had it multiple times. He has no visible long term problems from it.
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