Neuropathy of the facial nerve - symptoms and treatment

Due to various diseases, nerve endings on the face can develop. The facial nerve is quite vulnerable due to its location on the face, so its inflammation develops quite easily and quickly. One of the diseases that occur is the facial nerve neuropathy, it is worth knowing about what causes this disease, what are the main symptoms, what is the treatment for pathology.

• Neuropathy - what is this disease
• Causes
• Neuropathy of the facial nerve in children
• What is the danger of neuropathy?
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation

Neuropathy - what is this disease

Neuropathy refers to disorders in the functioning of the facial nerve, which causes paralysis and weakness of the facial muscles. This condition usually occurs on one side of the face, in rare cases it extends to both halves. The facial nerve is in a position in which it is easy to squeeze or pass on to it an infection, so various damages and inflammatory processes in it are common.

To find the designation of neuropathy in ICD-10, one should look at the numbers from G50. Depending on the characteristics of the lesion of the facial nerve and the reason for the designation of the registry may be different.

Neuropathy can be primary or secondary. Primary form occurs due to direct infection to the nerve, hypothermia, secondary develops against the background of other diseases in which transmission of infection can occur.

Regardless of the cause of the disease, you need to urgently begin treatment. The more inflammatory the inflammatory process and the violations of the nerve function are, the more difficult it will be to remove paralysis of the facial muscles, restore normal mobility and sensitivity.

Causes

The main cause, which provokes the development of the disease, is called hypothermia. You can earn it for a long time without a hat in the frost, sitting under a powerful air conditioner, sitting by the open window in a draft, in a strong cold wind. In this case, the nerve disease will be accompanied by cold symptoms.

Also, primary neuropathy can develop as a result of trauma, bumps and bruises of a different nature. The facial nerve is located in a fairly narrow canal, so a small displacement of the bones may occur during the impact, resulting in the squeezing of the nervous branches.

Other factors leading to the development of neuropathy include:

1. Various systemic infections and diseases. One of the most common causes of damage to the facial nerve is the herpes virus, which causes herpes zoster. In addition to herpes, the disease can trigger the systemic lupus erythematosus, infection, causing "mumps", and others.
2. Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx and ear. Most often, an inflammatory lesion of the nerve branches on the face can provoke an otitis, with an intractable form of the infection the infection spreads deep into the ear, where it can touch the nerve and other tissues.
3. Various tumors, the consequences of heart disease. In these cases, such pathologies can cause compression of the nerve end or its defeat in a different way.

Also, at times, experts note a hereditary factor. If someone in the family has already developed neuropathy, more attention should be paid to the prevention of the disease. By inheritance can be transmitted features of the structure of the bones of the skull, due to which the nerve channel can be too narrow.

Important!If secondary neuropathy develops, it is extremely important to treat the very cause of the disease.

Neuropathy of the facial nerve in children

If this lesion and paralysis of the facial muscles occur in the child, you should pay attention to it. In children, the development of this disease can provoke the wrong development and structure of the bones of the skull, so if there is no other expressed cause, you need to make sure there is no pathology.

Also, nerve damage occurs in a number of autoimmune diseases, some of them are inherited, some develop for other reasons. Some of these diseases first manifest themselves in childhood, in the diagnosis it is extremely important to exclude their appearance.

What is the danger of neuropathy?

With this disease, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible, since in time, after the defeat, mimic contracture begins to develop, the person literally paralyzes, it freezes with a certain expression. To correct such a consequence of the disease can be quite difficult.

Also, over time, the sensitivity of the face may begin to lose completely. The more time passes, the more difficult it will be to restore full motor functions, the sensitivity of the skin of the face, tongue.

Do not forget that with improper treatment or inadequate therapy of diseases that provoked nerve damage in secondary neuropathy, the disease can recur.

Important!In most cases, the symptoms of the disease are so obvious that no additional diagnosis is required.

Treatment

Treatment of this disease is usually complex, first it is important to remove swelling, pain and inflammation, after which the return of mobility begins, the sensitivity and normal circulation are restored. Usually, treatment is carried out at home, a clinic or hospital is required only for physiotherapy.

Then, after the main treatment, the stage of rehabilitation begins, on which it is important to fix the result of therapy and finally restore the sensitivity of nerve endings. Usually the following methods are used for treatment:

1. Preparations. First of all use anti-inflammatory drugs, usually prescribed treatment with prednisolone. In addition to this drug used diuretics for the removal of edema, nicotinic acid and its analogues for vasodilation. Also, vitamin B therapy can be used.
2. Physiotherapy. The procedures are prescribed from the sixth day of treatment, if the medication therapy produced a good result. Usually used UHF, phonoris, contact heat.
3. Treatment with acupuncture and other non-traditional methods. They are not used so often, official medicine does not consider these methods of treatment effective. Acupuncture and other non-traditional methods of treatment should be carried out exclusively by a specialist in the field, improper treatment can seriously harm.
4. Treatment with folk remedies. Folk techniques are not so effective in the neuropathy of the facial nerve, in addition, in the initial stages of therapy, the affected area can not be heated. However, by the end of the treatment course, herbal compresses can be used. For example, you need to brew the herb of sage, then squeeze it, put it on gauze and apply from the side of the face for 10 - 15 minutes.

With a combination of techniques, you can achieve better results. However, it is advised to consult a doctor about the admissibility and effectiveness of the chosen methods of therapy.

Rehabilitation

To restore all the motor functions apply facial massage. It can be done at home on your own, preferably in front of a mirror. The affected side of the face is gently massaged by stroking movements with a slight pressure, trying to warm up the affected muscles.

Another mandatory rehabilitation technique is exercise therapy for the face. Exercises should be repeated every day for 10 to 15 minutes, doing it better in front of the mirror. Exercises include whistling, pulling the lips with a tube, wide smiles, winking, pronouncing individual words, letters and sounds. Therapeutic gymnastics guarantees that the disease will not return.