Causes, symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the facial nerve
Facial neuritis is an inflammatory process that always develops acutely and can affect both adults and children. The term "neuralgia of the facial nerve in children" can often be found in pediatric practice. This is an incorrect interpretation of the inflammatory process, which is a pain syndrome and not an independent disease. All pathologies of the facial nerve belong to the group of neuropathies.
Reasons of development
Causes of neuropathy of the facial nerve:
- progression of herpes, poliomyelitis, epidemic parotitis, enterovirus;
- violations in the hormonal sphere (especially often the disease appears in the first half of pregnancy);
- tooth infections;
- sharp and severe hypothermia;
- injuries of the skull and jaws;
- sinusitis, swelling;
- diabetes;
- disruption of blood circulation in the blood vessels of the face;
- multiple sclerosis.
Most often the disease develops if the facial nerve is cold. A short-term stay is enough - and the inflammatory process begins to progress.
Symptoms of neuritis of the facial nerve
The development of the inflammatory process always begins sharply, but before the main clinical picture is revealed, the patient may feel discomfort in the back of the head, pain in the eye. The main symptoms of trigeminal facial nerve neuritis:
- the diseased side of the face becomes motionless and takes on the appearance of a mask;
- the eye on the affected side is wide open;
- the corner of the mouth is lowered;
- nasolabial folds are smoothed;
- speech becomes unclear;
- special sensitivity to sounds;
- increased dryness in the mouth.
Over time, if the disease progresses and treatment is not carried out, paresis of the facial nerve develops - the face becomes asymmetrical and the patient cannot fully smile or control his facial expressions.
Diagnosis of facial nerve inflammation
If the doctor has the proper qualifications, he will be able to make a diagnosis and reveal the degree of the pathological process purely based on the patient's complaints. But even with a characteristic clinical picture, the patient will have to undergo a number of diagnostic examinations:
- take blood and urine tests;
- pass magnetic resonance imaging;
- make an electroneurography.
The obtained results will help to determine what the treatment of inflammation of the facial nerve will be. In addition, the examination will allow the specialist to detect the degree of perception by the body of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which will be used for therapy.
Principles of treatment of inflammation of the facial nerve
The inflammatory process involves the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are selected individually. As a rule, priority is given to Nurofen, which can not only stop inflammation, but also relieve severe pain.
If the symptoms of neuritis of the facial nerve are pronounced, it is advisable to prescribe glucocorticoids, which will quickly improve the patient's condition. Spazmalgon can also be used to relieve pain.
In addition to drug therapy, treatment includes physical therapy procedures. These include: darsonvalization, heating with the help of ultra-high frequency waves, electrophoresis, mud therapy. As soon as the acute manifestations are removed, massage and gymnastics are recommended for neuritis of the facial nerve. These procedures should be carried out under the supervision of medical professionals.
Please note: only complex therapy will help cure this disease. Inadequate implementation of prescriptions and recommendations can provoke a deterioration of health, and in the worst case, lead to paralysis of the facial nerve.
If drug therapy does not give positive results, doctors will insist on surgery. Surgical operations for lesions of the facial nerve are performed under local anesthesia and avoid the development of complications.
Even after successful treatment, long-term rehabilitation is required. Usually, doctors recommend visiting balneological resorts, following the rules of protection against hypothermia and avoiding infectious diseases. Recovery of the facial nerve after neuritis is long. Periodically, the patient will be bothered by pain and discomfort in the affected area.
You can learn more about inflammation of the trigeminal nerve and how to treat pinched facial nerve on the pages of our site Dobrobut.com. Here you can make an appointment with a neurologist who will be able to carry out all the necessary measures at a professional level.
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