I am 20 year old female and have some facial problems since birth. I can not close my left eyelid and it is always tearing. I cannot smile properly and it is so weird when smile goes to only one side. I can not lift my left eyebrows too. People used to mock me since childhood and it become too stressful to face public. I have lost all my confidence and happiness due to this problem and have searched about this situation. I found my condition is called facial nerve palsy. What should I do to cure this completely. Could this be cured completed. This made my life so pathetic and I am fed up of this. My future, happiness and confidence has been destroyed due to this. What should I do?

Dr. Prabir BrahmachariGeneral Physician36yrs exp

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Dear lybrate user I empathise with you absolutely. People are ignorant and are pathetically insensitive to an illness which happens due not to your fault. Might be some birth trauma (as is common in forceps delivery.). First of all I shall explain what is facial nerve. You should have good knowledge about it which will help you to tide over the mental agony you are going through. We have 12 pairs of nerve bundles called cranial nerves 1.2. 3. Up to 12.12 on right and 12 on left coming out of the brain. The first nerves carry the smell sensation called olfactory nerves. The second carry visual sensation to the brain (helping us to see) called optic nerves. The facial nerve is cranial nerve number 7th. Each supplies all the muscles of one side of the face. Because of this we can smile. Frown. Move the eyelids. Close the eyes etc. When both nerves (right and left) are sound. The muscles move normally so that your smile is perfect. Eyes close equally. But when one nerve is damaged. It causes weakness in the muscles of that side. And the other side being sound will cause normal movement of muscles of that side. As a result the corner of the mouth will be dragged to the sound side because the other sided muscles can not move due to nerve paralysis. This causes facial asymmetry. And you can not close your eyes effectively in the affected side. There is a risk to this. Because your affected sided eyelid cannot close. Your cornea of that eye will be constantly exposed and become dry and will form ulcer called' corneal ulcer'this has to be prevented. Else your vision will be affected badly. Coming to treatment: you must consult a neuro physician to deal with this problem. Because it gas become an old problem. It will take time for correction. So never give up. Apply artificial tear eye drops (like tear plus) one drop in each eye every 8 hourly. To prevent corneal damage. You will need some form of physiotherapy including electrical stimulation of the facial nerve if applicable in your case. I expect a fair outcome in your case. Good luck! 

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