Is a crooked mouth a sign of facial paralysis? What kind of care should be done?

In daily communication, our facial expressions are an important part of communication. However, when facial muscles become abnormal, such as crooked corners of the mouth, people will worry about whether they have facial paralysis. Facial paralysis is a common disease, but many people do not understand it and fall into some misunderstandings. In fact, facial paralysis is not just a crooked mouth, it also affects the ears, eyes and other parts. If it is not treated in time, it will cause irreversible damage. Today, let's take a look at what facial paralysis is and how to care for it after the disease.

1. What is facial paralysis?

Facial paralysis, medically known as facial nerve palsy, is a common neurological disease. It occurs when the facial nerve that controls the facial expression muscles is damaged, causing the patient to be unable to control one or both sides of the facial muscles, resulting in symptoms such as asymmetric facial expressions, crooked corners of the mouth, and incomplete eye closure.

2. Does a crooked mouth mean facial paralysis?

A crooked mouth may be a symptom of facial paralysis, but it does not necessarily mean that all crooked mouths are facial paralysis. Imbalance of facial muscles may also be caused by other reasons, such as:

Neurological diseases: In addition to facial paralysis, other neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease and stroke may also lead to facial muscle control disorders.

Muscle problems: Long-term bad habits, such as improper sleeping posture, may lead to unbalanced tension in the facial muscles, which in turn causes a crooked mouth.

Dental problems: Malocclusion or crooked teeth may also affect the facial muscles and cause the corners of the mouth to be crooked.

Psychological factors: Psychological states such as tension and stress may also affect facial expressions.

3. How to identify facial paralysis?

The main features of facial paralysis include:

One of the early symptoms is blinking. Careful observation of the patient's blinking can reveal asymmetric blinking on both sides. In addition, eyelid tremor is also an early symptom.

After the onset of the disease, the patient's facial expression will appear asymmetrical, especially when trying to smile, one side of the mouth corner cannot rise or droop, there is no eyebrow lifting movement or the eyebrow is raised low, the eyes are large or small or the upper eyelids are loose, it is difficult to close the eyes, tears may occur or the eyes cannot be completely closed, there may also be dry mouth, taste changes or ear pain, and saliva often drips from that side.

4. What kind of care should patients with facial paralysis receive?

Eye care: Facial paralysis patients often have eyelids that cannot close completely, which can easily lead to dry eyes, redness, swelling, and even infection. Therefore, it is necessary to use eye drops regularly to keep the eyes moist. At the same time, artificial tears can be used to relieve the symptoms of dry eyes. In addition, to avoid sunlight stimulation, you can wear sunshade glasses.

Oral care: The crooked corners of the mouth of patients with facial paralysis can easily lead to oral hygiene problems. Nursing staff need to teach patients the correct way to brush their teeth, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and avoid irritating facial muscles. At the same time, mouthwash can be used to keep the mouth clean and prevent oral infections.

Facial muscle massage: In order to promote the recovery of the facial nerve, the patient may need to be massaged. When massaging, pay attention to moderate strength to avoid excessive stimulation. You can start from the forehead and massage down along the facial contour to the chin, 2-3 times a day.

Facial function exercise: Patients with facial paralysis need to do facial function exercise to enhance the strength and coordination of facial muscles. Simple facial exercises such as blowing balloons, blowing candles, and making faces can be performed. Daily exercise will help restore facial function.

Psychological care: Facial paralysis patients often have psychological problems such as inferiority and anxiety due to changes in their facial image. Nurses need to care about the patient's psychological condition and give them full care and support. They can invite patients to participate in social activities to help them build confidence and face the disease positively.

Reasonable diet: Facial paralysis patients need to maintain a good nutritional status to facilitate nerve repair. It is recommended to consume more foods rich in vitamin B, protein and other nutrients, such as lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, etc. At the same time, avoid overly spicy and irritating foods to avoid aggravating the condition.

Regular follow-up: Facial paralysis patients need to undergo regular follow-up during treatment to assess the recovery of the condition. According to the doctor's advice, the treatment plan can be adjusted in a timely manner to achieve the best treatment effect.

Recently, a news story appeared, "A man suffered facial paralysis after staying up all night for 5 consecutive nights and washing his face with cold water." According to the report, Xiao Zhang (pseudonym) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, worked for two months under high-intensity work and stayed up all night for 5 consecutive nights. When he got up, he just washed his face with cold water. After that, Xiao Zhang felt dizzy and tinnitus, and his face began to numb. Soon after, even his mouth became crooked. He went to the hospital for treatment and was diagnosed with facial neuritis, which is also facial paralysis. First of all, long-term high-intensity work and continuous staying up late will cause serious burdens on the body, especially the impact on the nervous system is more obvious, and cold water will cause blood vessels to contract and affect blood circulation, so we must protect the health of facial nerves in daily life. In addition, when it is cold, we must protect the temperature of the face and avoid being blown by cold wind for a long time, which is also the cause of facial paralysis.

In short, a crooked mouth does not necessarily mean facial paralysis, but if symptoms such as asymmetric facial expressions occur, you should seek medical attention in a timely manner to determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment. Through comprehensive medical intervention and active rehabilitation training, most patients can restore normal facial function and regain a confident smile. I also believe that patients can gradually restore facial function and regain a good life under the care of nursing staff. (Gao Xiaojuan, Lingshou County People's Hospital, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province)