Question
My uncle has been having difficulty speaking since last year, with his mouth crooked and his face occasionally twitching. Initially, I thought it was trigeminal neuralgia, so he has been taking medication for neuralgia, but the effect has been poor. This year, the situation has worsened, and he finally went to the hospital for a check-up, where he was diagnosed with facial paralysis.
Answer
Facial paralysis is a common disease primarily characterized by dysfunction of the facial expression muscle groups, with general symptoms including mouth and eye deviation. It is a common and frequent disease that is not restricted by age. Patients often find it difficult to perform even the most basic facial expressions like raising eyebrows, closing eyes, or pursing lips. The onset can be sudden, with pain behind the ear a few hours before the appearance of facial paralysis. The paralysis is limited to one side of the face and can vary in severity, reaching its peak within a few hours to 1 to 2 days.