Among all nervous cranial disorders, damage to the facial nerve occupies a leading position. The development of this disease causes paralysis of the muscles of half of the face, as a result of which the patient experiences severe trauma, not only physical, but also psychological. The consequence of this condition can be neuroparalytic keratitis, which often leads to complete blindness. The reasons why the facial nerve is most often affected are: removal of tumors in the facial area, operations on the hearing organs, brain and skull injuries accompanied by bone fractures, neck injuries, as well as the development of inflammatory processes such as neuritis.
Symptoms of a disorder of the facial nerve
The disease is manifested by the following symptoms:
- atrophy of the mimic muscles of half of the face with their possible paralysis;
- pronounced muscle asymmetry even at rest;
- smoothing of wrinkles on the affected side;
- violation of the processes of swallowing and chewing;
- no movement of the lower eyelid;
- lacrimation disorder.
Types of facial neuritis
If the facial nerve is affected for the first time, this most often indicates the result of a cold. With severe hypothermia, tissue edema and vasospasm occur, which leads to disruption of nervous nutrition and such pronounced pathological changes as paralysis. Secondary neuritis is the result of intoxication of the body, infectious diseases, encephalitis, inflammatory and neoplastic processes, hypertensive crises, as well as parotitis and otitis media.
How to treat the facial nerve
Partially disturbed nerve conduction needs conservative treatment, which should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor specializing in pathological changes in peripheral nerves. The complex of basic measures that the facial nerve undergoes includes corticosteroid injections, electrical muscle stimulation, exercise therapy, massage, as well as taking vitamins and drugs that improve microcirculation. In some cases, the patient is prescribed acupuncture, but this procedure contributes to the early contracture of facial muscles. It should be noted that MRI and EMG are currently the most relevant diagnostic methods for examining the facial nerve. If the patient has a complete impairment of nerve conduction for several months, surgical treatment is carried out, the appropriateness of which is determined by the doctor, based on the individual indicators of the patient's he alth.
Viewsoperations on the facial nerve
The surgeon may determine if one of the following operations is appropriate:
- nerve decompression in the fallopian canal;
- suture, autoplasty and nerve neurolysis;
- reinnervation is carried out if it is impossible to restore the integrity of the trunk;
- plastic surgery that corrects a cosmetic defect.
In any case, no matter what method of treatment is used, in order to achieve a lasting effect, this problem should be approached with all seriousness, and competent postoperative rehabilitation will allow you to maintain your he alth and attractiveness for a long time.
