Question
My uncle has been experiencing unclear speech, a crooked mouth, and facial twitches since last year. We initially thought it was trigeminal neuralgia causing the symptoms. He has been taking medication for neuralgia, but it seems to be ineffective. This year, the situation has worsened, and we rushed to see a doctor, who diagnosed him with facial paralysis.
Answer
Facial paralysis is a common condition characterized by a disorder in the facial expression muscles, with common symptoms including crooked mouth and eyes. This condition is not age-restricted and patients may find it difficult to perform basic facial movements like raising eyebrows, closing eyes, or pouting. The symptoms often appear suddenly, with a few hours before the onset of facial paralysis possibly feeling pain behind the ear. The paralysis usually affects one side of the face and varies in severity, reaching its peak within a few hours to one to two days.