Inflammation of the facial nerve.

Inflammation of the facial nerve, or neuritis, is a condition where the nerve responsible for the muscles of the face becomes inflamed or swells. This leads to the fact that a person can not normally close his eyes, smiles crookedly, besides, the inflamed half of his face looks as if saggy. Everyone can suffer from this disease, however, in people younger than 15 and over 60, almost no neuritis occurs.

People who have had inflammation of the facial nerve often experience a repeated manifestation of the disease. Quite often the disease affects the previously unaffected side of the face. Symptoms of neuritis within two weeks become less pronounced, and the final recovery can occur only after the expiration of six months.

Signs of neuritis:

• Suddenly, there is weakness or complete immobilization of muscles on one side of the face;
• Mimic movements are greatly hampered, one half of the face seems to hang;
• On the inflamed part of the face, pain in the ear and jaw;
• Feeling irritated by all kinds of sounds;
• Headache;
• Taste is significantly changed;
• Frequent and profuse lachrymation and salivation;
• Very rarely the inflammation of the nerve affects both sides of the face.

If you are concerned about the above symptoms, seek medical help immediately to exclude the possibility of a stroke or other no less serious illness.

Causes

Quite often inflammation of the facial nerve is associated with a previous herpes virus, which causes colds on the lips, as well as genital herpes. Rarely, neuritis can be caused by other diseases and viruses, such as: respiratory tract infection, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes zoster (it causes disease with chickenpox and shingles), cytomegalovirus, first trimester pregnancy, postpartum week, diabetes.

In persons whose close relatives were susceptible to this disease, there is a predisposition to neuritis at the genetic level.

Complications of the disease

Often when the neuritis of the facial nerve symptoms of the disease very soon disappear (literally in a month). However, in severe cases, some complications may occur:

• Incurable damage to the area of the inflamed facial nerve;
• Incorrect growth of nerve fibers, resulting in involuntary mobility of some muscles, while a person controls others. For example, when you try to smile, the patient involuntarily closes his eyes;
• The loss of vision (partial or complete) due to the fact that a person can not lower eyelids, resulting in excessive dryness of the eyes.

Detection of the disease

Inflammation of the facial nerve is determined by a normal medical examination by a doctor. If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe an additional study.

How to treat inflammation of the facial nerve

Drug treatment must be chosen by the attending physician. Most often, corticosteroids are prescribed for treatment (to remove the process of inflammation) and antiviral drugs. Physiotherapeutic treatment is also used - this is a special massage and exercises for the facial muscles.

All methods of treatment should be strictly aimed at restoring inflammatory nerve fibers, preventing muscular atrophy, resuming conduction of unaffected muscles. After a week, you can use the thermal procedures (paraffin wax applications) for recovery. It is recommended to use acupuncture and ultrasound. If the recovery is slow, for its activation, prescribe drugs that improve metabolism, vitamins (especially group B).

In 75% of cases, a full recovery occurs. It is believed that if treatment of neuritis does not improve within three months, the chance of fully recovering will be significantly reduced.