Guest guest Posted April 10, 2002 Report Share Posted April 10, 2002 It's impossible to diagnose over the Web, but I wasn't impressed with the original poster's symptoms as being Bell's Palsy. But your point is well taken: a diagnosis by a physician, especially to distinguish neurologic vs dermatologic problems and especially during pregnancy, is important. Marjorie Marjorie Lazoff, MD > Wow. > > It might be that you're experiencing Bell's Palsy. It > occurs with more frequency in pregnancy that it does > in the general population. > > I had it when I was 7.5 months pregnant and I have > some very specific suggestions, which I'd be glad to > share, but first you need to see a doctor (ASAP), > because this shouldn't be self-diagnosed and it's not > a dermatological problem. > > That said, I'll tell you what I know about Bell's > because it may (or may not) help you describe what's > happening to your doctor. > > Bell's Palsy usually occurs on one side of the face or > the other. It is only very rarely bilateral (on both > sides). > > There is debate about the cause in pregnancy -- some > believe that is a matter of swelling crushing a nerve > (like carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy), but a few > years ago, a Japanese study found Herpes Simplex I > (the virus that causes cold sores) in 7 of ten samples > taken of the facial nerve in Bell's patients. This > indicates that it might be a herpes infection of that > nerve (it's facial nerve #7, I think, which enters the > facial area through a tiny hole in the skull right in > front of the ear...) As you probably know, many people > carry different kinds of herpes viruses dormant in the > their system until something triggers them... it > appears pregnancy may do that for some people. > > Bell's has a couple of other indicators... often there > is an unusual ear ache with pain right in front of the > ear (on the same side as the numbness) and there may > also be an altered sense of taste, including a funny > metallic taste in the mouth (like sucking on a > penny!). > > Continued numbness may lead to muscular paralysis in > the face, including drooping muscles, inability to > blink, control lips, etc. If treatment is sought right > away, this is usually temporary. > > Bell's can, however, lead to permanent facial > paralysis, so it's really important that you see your > OB-GYN (right away!). Considering the fact you're > pregnant, this is not a dermatological problem. Any > sort of potential neurological problem in pregnancy > should be checked out immediately. > > > Suzi > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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