A patient with neuritis of the facial nerve can be recognized immediately: distorted eyes, mouth, crooked smile, change in facial expressions are instantly evident. However, the worst thing is that the time for the treatment of neuritis of the facial nerve is quite limited. If damaged nerves are not repaired within a few months, the chances of recovery are sharply reduced.
About a year or two, you can only slightly reduce the pathological manifestations, but not completely get rid of them. After 5-10 years, all therapeutic measures will be aimed at at least partially restoring the work of nerve endings. What you need to know about the symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the facial nerve, so as not to miss the right time?
The concept of neuritis of the facial nerve
The main cause of a crooked smile is neuritis (inflammation) of the facial nerve. This is paresis, characterized by a partial lesion of the facial nerve with the loss of certain functions. In severe cases, when the pathways of the conducting nerves in the face are completely affected, we can talk about paralysis. SoThus, this pathology is a partial or complete damage to the motor pathways from the neurons located in the cerebral cortex to the end of the branches of the facial nerves with a violation of their functioning:
- facial expressions (smiling, raising eyebrows, wrinkling nose or forehead, baring teeth, etc.);
- speech;
- smell functions;
- eye closing or blinking.
Facial nerve
The facial nerve is considered the main nerve of the human face. It comes to the surface in the region of the temporal bone and is divided into several branches:
- temporal;
- zygomatic;
- cheek;
- cervical and mandibular.
It performs mixed functions: provides secretion, movement, sensation (smell, taste). The facial nerve has a certain symmetry: thanks to it, both eyes close and open at the same time, both corners of the mouth are at the same height, when smiling, they stretch symmetrically, when you try to raise the eyebrows, they rise at the same height, and symmetrical wrinkles form on the forehead.
Paresis or paralysis
When any part of the facial nerve is damaged, paresis or paralysis of a specific branch occurs - motor activity is disturbed in this area, and the patient cannot smile. His mouth begins to warp and his teeth are not exposed when smiling on one side, one eye may not open. There may also be some disturbances in the functioning of taste buds on the affected side. And salivation from this side, on the contrary, intensifies. This is how a wry smile appears.
When the facial nerve is damaged, it usually becomes inflamed - when palpated with the forefinger and thumb of the affected cheek, the compaction of the branches of the nerves will be clearly felt (palpation should be very careful, as this gives the person pain).
Symptomatics
A crooked smile and neuritis of the facial nerve appear differently, depending on the location and degree of the pathological process of the lesion. As a rule, paresis is unilateral, which is why they say that the patient's face is skewed to one side and the smile is twisted. And in extremely rare cases, bilateral neuritis of the facial nerve occurs, in which the entire face is equally motionless and deformed.
Distorted face
The most characteristic external manifestation of this condition is a lowered and motionless corner of the mouth, a distorted eye, a cheek. There may also be moderate or profuse salivation, lacrimation from the affected side. Moreover, the patient does not feel these nerves - he seems to forget how to wrinkle his nose, smile or raise an eyebrow. Muscle fibers on one side are immobile due to impaired nerve patency. There may also be deterioration or complete loss of taste sensations.
Sharp pain
Another characteristic symptom of nerve paresis on the face is an acute pain syndrome, similar to an electric shock. In most cases, it occurs when you try to carry out certain movements (smile). This indicates that the nervenot completely paralyzed, but somehow restrained.
Not everyone knows what causes a crooked smile.
Causes of pathology
Scientists have not yet been able to establish the unequivocal cause of this disease. A number of factors have been linked to facial nerve inflammation:
- Hypothermia, which leads to a decrease in the body's immune defenses. In the case of neuritis, local hypothermia is especially dangerous. For example, a person has been in a draft for a long time. In this case, a spasm of blood vessels and muscles occurs, which causes malnutrition of the nerve and the development of a crooked smile.
- The herpes virus that lives in the body of most people and does not manifest itself in any way. However, in the event of a decrease in immunity, it actively multiplies in its favorite place - in the structures of nerve fibers. The virus causes nerve swelling and inflammation. It is believed that this pathology can also be provoked by polio viruses, mumps, enterovirus and adenoviruses.
- Drinking a lot of alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is the strongest poison for the nervous system. It can affect not only the brain, but also cause inflammation of the facial nerves.
- High blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to increased intracranial pressure. In this case, the nuclei of the facial nerve are damaged. In addition, high blood pressure often causes a stroke. And if the hemorrhage occurs near the facial nerve, then it also suffers.
- Pregnancy. Especially dangerouswhile the first trimester. During such a period, hormonal changes occur in the female body that affect the nervous system.
- Brain tumor. This is a rare cause of neuritis, however, it should not be ruled out. The tumor grows, compresses the nerve and disrupts the passage of nerve impulses.
- Tranio-cerebral or ear injuries. The blow provokes damage or rupture of the nerve fiber. Fluid begins to accumulate in this area, swelling and inflammation occur, which subsequently spreads to the entire nerve.
- Unsuccessful dental procedures, carious infection.
- Heavy stress.
- Transferred sinusitis and otitis media. Pathologies of ENT organs, bacterial or viral in nature, can spread to neighboring tissues or cause inflammation of the nerve in the temporal bone.
- Diabetes. With this disease, a metabolic disorder develops, which provokes the development of foci of inflammation.
- Atherosclerosis. The capillary vessels that supply the nerve with blood become clogged with plaque. As a result, the nerve begins to starve and its cells die.
- Multiple sclerosis. This disease is associated with the destruction of the myelin sheath of the nerves and the formation of plaques. Similar processes cause inflammation of the facial and ophthalmic nerves.
Diagnosis
Establishing a diagnosis is quite simple - the patient has it "written on the face". The main external sign is an asymmetrical smile. However, for adequate therapy, it is important to determine the localizationand degree of injury. By external signs, one can only guess which branches are affected, but this is not enough for a complete clinical picture.
For diagnosis, electroneuromyography is used to assess the conduction of nerve endings, track the signal path and find the site of the lesion.
An MRI may also be ordered. The pictures of which show the affected nerves and surrounding tissues.
Treatment
People often ask: "What pills should I take if I have a crooked smile?". Let's figure it out.
Neuritis of the facial nerve should be treated no later than 3-7 days from the onset of the first symptoms. This is because the disease progresses rapidly as nerve cells begin to die.
It is important to find out in advance how to fix a crooked smile.
In case of neuritis of the facial nerve, medications containing vitamins of group B are prescribed. This is a neurotropic combination that improves metabolic processes, trophism of nerve pathways, and transmission of impulses. Lipoic acid (thioctacid) and the medicine Keltikan are also prescribed.
To restore the functions of movement, the patient is prescribed a massage of the face and collar zone, physiotherapy exercises, which is aimed at restoring the blood supply to the affected nerves.
Exercise
What gymnastics can be performed with inflammation of the facial nerve? How to fix a crooked smile with exercises?
Need to get the nerve fibers to start functioning again. Forclasses, it is necessary to use a mirror in front of which they do gymnastics: raising and lowering the eyebrows, blowing air through lips folded into a tube, pronouncing sounds, syllables and words, trying not to twist the lips to one side.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the facial nerve. For therapy to be effective, it is necessary to approach the process in a complex manner. A variety of physiotherapeutic procedures have a good effect, which are aimed at eliminating the inflammatory process in nerve fibers, restoring their conductivity.
