Such a symptom as a distorted face is not uncommon in medical practice. This is not just a cosmetic defect, various neurological diseases can be hidden behind this symptom. They can be both non-serious, not requiring specific treatment, or severe, requiring immediate consultation with a specialist. Let's see why the face can be skewed, and what to do when this happens. After all, everyone can face this problem.
Distorted face: reasons
Basically, various neurological diseases lurk behind the change in the facial muscles. Below are the main reasons:
- facial paralysis;
- blepharospasm;
- acute cerebrovascular accident - stroke.
The most dangerous condition listed above is a stroke. It requires immediate medical attention and hospitalization, as early treatment increases the chances of successful rehabilitation.
The above is a photo with a skewedthe face of a woman who suffered a stroke.
Facial paralysis: causes
As one of the conditions that can lead to a distorted face, it requires appropriate treatment to restore the original shape of the face. Paralysis is the inability to move any part of the body, in this case the muscles of the face. A number of pathological conditions can lead to this:
- infectious diseases (chickenpox, herpes, rubella) that lead to inflammation of the facial nerve - neuritis;
- middle ear inflammation - otitis media;
- traumatic brain injury;
- inflammation of the meninges - meningitis;
- brain tumors.
Fortunately, all of the serious causes listed above (brain injury, tumors, meningitis) are rare. But in most cases, the cause of the paralysis cannot be found out, and then doctors make a diagnosis of idiopathic Bell's palsy. This condition is the most common cause when a child's face is distorted.
Facial paralysis: symptoms
For damage to the facial nerve, it is characteristic that the face is skewed on one side only, and there is asymmetry of the entire face. This means that the patient has both the lower part of the face (the corner of the mouth is lowered, he cannot bare his teeth, the tongue deviates to one side) and the upper part of the face (one eye is closed or the eyelid is lowered).
When diagnosing this pathology, the doctor may resort to such additional examination methods:
- electromyography -study of mimic muscles by registering the signals that come from them;
- magnetic resonance imaging - imaging of the brain using a tomograph, which will help to exclude brain damage (tumor, trauma, stroke).
Facial paralysis: treatment
What to do if the face is distorted with facial paralysis? There are a number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments available to help restore the look and function of the facial muscles:
- corticosteroids - relieve inflammation of the facial nerve;
- antiviral or antibacterial agents, if an infectious process is confirmed;
- surgical intervention for a diagnosed brain tumor;
- massage;
- a set of exercises for facial muscles;
- physiotherapy;
- moisturizing eye drops on the affected side, antibiotic ointments to prevent infection.
Blepharospasm: causes and symptoms
Another condition that can distort the face is blepharospasm - an involuntary contraction of the circular muscle of the eye that surrounds it.
Main reasons:
- Facial paraspasm is a disease characteristic mainly of the elderly. Its exact cause is unclear, but it is believed that paraspasm appears due to an imbalance in the parts of the nervous system.
- Parkinson's disease.
- Meningitis.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Inflammation of the eyes (keratitis, conjunctivitis).
- Sinusitis - inflammation of the paranasal sinuses.
With blepharospasm, only the upper part of the face is asymmetric: the palpebral fissure gradually narrows, sometimes the eye can suddenly close. This brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient.
Blepharospasm: treatment
If the face is distorted with blepharospasm, you should refer to the following therapeutic methods:
- treatment of the underlying disease that caused spasm of the circular muscle of the eye;
- physiotherapy;
- nootropics - drugs that increase oxygen delivery to the brain and improve its functioning;
- with severe symptoms and the ineffectiveness of other methods of treatment, it is possible to prescribe botulinum therapy, which effectively relieves muscle spasm.
Stroke: causes
One of the most dangerous causes of facial asymmetry and impaired facial expressions is a circulatory disorder of the brain, resulting in a stroke often develops. Depending on the cause that caused it, it can be ischemic (when a cerebral vessel is blocked by a thrombus or embolus), as well as hemorrhagic (when a thinned wall of a cerebral vessel is ruptured).
Main conditions that increase the risk of stroke:
- cerebral atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of ischemic stroke;
- arterial hypertension - increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke;
- aneurysm of a cerebral vessel - a sac-like protrusion andthinning of the vessel wall of the brain, as a frequent consequence of prolonged arterial hypertension;
- chronic cerebrovascular accident;
- obesity and low physical activity.
Stroke: Symptoms
If the face is distorted during a stroke, you should immediately consult a doctor, as time plays a very big role here. Therefore, you need to know the following signs that will help to suspect the development of a stroke:
- In the overwhelming majority of cases, asymmetry of only the lower half of the face is characteristic, which is manifested by a lowered corner of the mouth, smoothness of the nasolabial fold, deviation of the tongue to one side, inability to show teeth or stick out the tongue completely.
- Paralysis (complete immobilization) or paresis (weakness) of a limb, with a characteristic unilateral lesion of the arm and / or leg. It is difficult for the patient to raise his arm or he cannot stand up; with paresis of the leg, walking is possible, but difficult.
- Violation of speech, and the patient can be damaged, as the center of speech understanding, located in the frontal lobe of the brain, and the center of pronunciation, located in the temporal lobe. In the first case, the patient pronounces words and sentences absolutely normally, but they do not understand at all the meaning of what they say to him. In the second case, he understands everything, but is either completely unable to say anything, or speaks separate incoherent words.
If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself or in your environment, do not hesitate, urgently callambulance!
Stroke treatment
Therapy for circulatory disorders should be started as early as possible, since an early start increases the likelihood of a successful restoration of muscle function, including facial muscles. Therapy directly depends on the type and cause of the stroke.
In case of cerebral ischemia, drugs are prescribed that resolve the thrombus and restore normal blood circulation (acetylsalicylic acid, thrombolytic therapy).
In a hemorrhagic stroke, it is necessary to stop bleeding in the brain tissue, which is achieved with the help of antifibrinolytic therapy (alpha-aminocaproic acid).
However, not only drug therapy plays a role. With a satisfactory condition of the patient, it is necessary to start physiotherapy exercises and massage as soon as possible to restore muscle function.
