Botox injections can help balance the face in patients suffering with Bell’s palsy.
What is Bell’s palsy?
Bell’s palsy is condition which affects the muscle movement on one side of the face. Patients with Bell’s Palsy look asymmetrical when they smile, raise their eyebrows, or close their eyes.
What causes Bell’s palsy?
No one knows exactly what causes Bell’s palsy, but it is ultimately the result of swelling of the facial nerve which provides signals to the muscles of facial expression. Current research suggests that swelling of the nerve may be the result of a viral infection involving the nerve.
Bell’s palsy affects over 40,000 Americans per year. Most patients recover from it relatively quickly and without long term problems. However, recovery can be slower than desired, and some patients can develop a long term complication where the eye winks when eating, laughing, or smiling.
Botox for treating Bell’s palsy
In these patients, especially, Botox can be valuable in achieving a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. By injecting Botox into either the affected or unaffected sides of the face, Botox can make the face more symmetrical. Botox can help reduce an uneven smile, re-position eyebrows of different heights, and eliminate differences in how the eyes close or move with expression.
Helpful links:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke – Bell’s palsy
Bell’s palsy treatement
