Top Health Tips on Managing Facial Pain

Bell s Palsy is a form of facial paralysis that can leave the features or one side of the face completely frozen. This can also affect the patient s ability to eat and talk on a normal basis. As per medical science reports, this kind of a condition is brought on by the inflammation of the delicate facial nerves when a viral infection from the past comes back and gets reactivated. It can also happen due to sudden and debilitating change of air from hot to extremely cold without any proper acclimatization, as well as other factors like stress, anxiety, trauma and similar factors.

There are many homoeopathic medicines that can be used for dealing with these conditions. These medicines are preferred as they are natural and do not usually have any side effects. So let us look at a few medicines that can be used in Homeopathy for treating Bell s Palsy.

Aconite: This is one of the most widely prescribed medicines for this condition. It is usually prescribed when the patient is facing symptoms like trauma due to sudden exposure to extremely cold and icy air without any kind of warning or a subtle change in temperature first. Also, those who have been suffering from chronic facial paralysis due to a variety of reasons can be given this medicine for some amount of relief in the long run. If the patient has had a history of complications when it comes to dealing with icy temperatures and cold air, then this medicine can also help.
Ignatia: This medicine is usually prescribed when the facial paralysis is brought on due to stress and grief. Ignatia is also a well-known medicine that is usually prescribed for any kind of grief and trauma besides being known as an effective treatment when it comes to depression, as well. Other symptoms treated by this condition include a constant biting sensation that one may feel in the cheeks as well as problems while swallowing and talking.
Cadmium Sulph: This medicine is used when there is some amount of haemorrhage at play when it comes to Bell s Palsy. When the facial paralysis happens suddenly due to such a condition, then this medicine is usually prescribed for the patient. Also, this medicine is prescribed in order to treat symptoms like a distorted face and problems when it comes swallowing food and water. The patient will also find that he or she cannot close the eye on the affected side of the face.
Bacillinium: This medicine is usually prescribed when the patient has suppressed the facial eruptions, which has then manifested itself as facial paralysis. This can happen when expressions and eruptions are suppressed by the constant use of certain medicated treatments and ointments.

Facial paralysis is a loss of facial movement because of facial nerve damage. Your facial muscles may seem to hang or may become distinctly weak. It can happen on one or both sides of the face. Usual reasons for facial paralysis include:

Infection or swelling of the facial nerve

Head injury

Head or neck tumor

Stroke

Exposure to severe cold

Facial paralysis can increase all of a sudden or happen slowly over a span of months (mostly if one has a head or neck tumor). Based on the cause, the loss of movement may keep going for a short or a long period of time. However, physiotherapy can prove to be very beneficial. Here is how:

1. Electrical stimulation: A few specialists suggest utilizing electrical stimulation and biofeedback as a technique for physiotherapy for facial paralysis, yet different specialists believe that it does help in recovery. Talk with your specialist or advisor about whether electrical stimulation is ideal for you. Electrical stimulation uses little amounts of electricity to relieve the muscles in your face. This causes your muscles to jerk as though electrical signals from your brain reacted to them. During this time, your face is most incapacitated, which might be the main cause for you to enact these facial muscles.

2. Therapeutic Manual massage: Therapeutic Face massage can be performed in conjunction with other physiotherapy treatment choices. Massage methods on the face include:

Effleurage
Finger or thumb massage
Tapping
Stroking
3. Kabat rehabilitation: Kabat recovery is a sort of engine control restoration procedure. During Kabat, specialists increase the compression of the weakened muscle by applying a global stretch and then massaging the solid segment. They encourage movement by verbal info and manual contact. While performing Kabat, there are namely three phases - the upper (temple and eyes), intermediate (nose), and lower (mouth). Before Kabat, ice compression needs to be performed to the particular regions, with a specific end goal to build its contractile power.

4. Icing: Ice helps in decreasing the aggravation surrounding the facial nerve, which might be in charge of the loss of nerve movement or conduction leading to facial paralysis. You can either use an ice pack or any cold compressor.

5. Facial exercises: These include doing essential activities with the distinctive muscle surrounding your face. In case you consult a specialist or physical advisor for your facial paralysis, he or she will suggest particular exercises for your level and stage of paralysis. If not, have a go at flexing the different muscles in your face through and through. Frown, raise your eyebrows, gradually flicker your eyes, and proceed down to your jaw.

Facial paralysis can happen due to many factors. Sometimes inflammation develops around the facial nerve as it passes through the skull from the brain. This presses on the nerve and makes it stop functioning. As the nerve stops functioning, so does the muscle it controls.


This is what happens in Bell s palsy, the most common cause of facial paralysis.


Bell s palsy can happen to anyone and its cause is, hold your breath, a viral infection. Herpes zoster, Varicella zoster and HIV viruses can cause Bell s palsy.


Bell's palsy is a common cause of a facial paralysis but there are many others too that affect or damage facial nerve. These include head injury, sarcoidosis, lyme disease, growths in the ear, tumours in the parotid gland, brain tumours and stroke.


The weakness of the face usually one-sided is a symptom of Bell s palsy. The face may droop to one side, chewing food is also tough, drooling, dry eyes and difficulty wrinkling forehead and speech are other symptoms of Bell s palsy, the most common reason for facial paralysis.


Treatment:
The type of therapy you receive for facial paralysis will depend on its cause. It will also develop on how long you ve suffered from facial paralysis and the extent of damage to the facial nerve.


Your physiotherapist can help and so can speech and language therapists to deal with the issue.


In physiotherapy, a treatment called 'facial retraining' with facial exercises helps with facial palsy. It is important that you seek help from a therapist who specialises in facial rehabilitation only.


This is what you can expect from facial rehabilitation therapy-
Exercises for eye care
Exercises for dry mouth management
Exercises to make drinking and eating easier
Speech therapy
Your physiotherapist will educate you on how the facial nerve works and how it recovers. This is important to make you recover. A home therapy programme plays an important role too. It includes massages to keep face muscles mobile and healthy, stretches to lengthen muscles, exercises to help re-learn balanced facial movements and relaxation of your facial nerve and muscles.


The physiotherapist will work on your facial movement to make muscles fit. The basic idea is to slowly rewire the brain-to-nerve-to-muscle pathway. The physiotherapist s first step is to retrain you to do correct movements voluntarily, while mentally focusing on the movement.


Physiotherapy may take months but keep at it to recover completely, especially the home exercises.


Injections of botulinum toxin or Botox also help especially if you suffer from spasms in facial muscles. Surgery is also an option for chronic cases.


Remember that exercises should be done gently as well as daily to reap benefits. Always do these exercises with the help of a therapist only. Doing exercises by yourself can be counter- productive.

Nasya is an Ayurvedic term, a procedure followed for disorders related to migraine, throat, nose, ear, sinusitis and any other organ above the neck. Ayurveda purifies these organs and removes vitiated doshas through the nasal openings. The nasal treatment happens in the form of medicated powders, medicinal fumes, nasal oil or medicated juice.

Efficacy of the treatment:
This form of treatment is tailor made for disease related to ENT and Eye ailments. The treatment aims at getting the toxins removed from the neck and head region by administering oil through the nasal cavity. Other areas where Nasya can be applied to get good results include psychiatry, dentistry, and neurology.

Types of Nasya:
As per function, there are 3 different types of Nasya Brihmana nasya, Virechana nasya and Shamana nasya. As per quality, Nasya can be divided into 2 categories i.e. Pratimarsha nasya and Marsha nasya. Some other popular nasal therapy treatment includes the following:

Navana: When Nasya is meant for Shodhana or Snehana, it is termed as Navana. This is the most common type of Navana and is used for hair fall, headaches and bells palsy tinnitus.
Pradhamana: This is a procedure where dry powders get blown into the nostrils through a narrow pipe. It can also be inhaled. Diseases such as epilepsy, sudden unconsciousness and any other diseases related to the brain are treated through this method. Some other herbs that are used along with this method of treatment include vacha, vidanga, maricha etc.
Avapeedana: In this form of Nasys, juice extracts are injected into the nostrils. 4-6 drops of juice for each nostril are required. This treatment is ideal for patients suffering from poisoning, epilepsy, delirium, rhinitis etc.
Dhooma: This form of Nasya has 3 subtypes- virechanik, prayogik and snehaik. In Dhooma, a patient is made to inhale medicated fume from both the mouth and nostrils for 3-4 times. The exhalation should only happen from the mouth.
Herbs used in Nasya Karma:
Some common herbs that is used for preparing any nasya preparation include apamarg, vidanga, hingu, tulasi, maricha and lahsuna. Some common oil preparation of Nasya includes anu, narayana, marichyadi, guraadi, shadbindu etc. A common preparation of Nasya is known as guraadi that include herbs such as shunthi, pippali, and saindhava.

Benefits of Nasya treatment:
There are numerous benefits of nasya treatment, some of the notables ones include:

It develops and strengthens the shoulders, chest, skin, and neck.
The sensory organs become much stronger after nasya therapy of 3-4 weeks.
Any person witnessing grey hair can get rid of it with regular nasya treatment.
Nasal medication also strengthens the visual site of a person.

Lupus is an inflammatory disease that is chronic in nature. It occurs when your tissues and organs are attacked by your body's own immunity system. The inflammation that this disease causes can affect the other parts of your body as well, like the joints, kidneys, skin, brain etc. It is often difficult to diagnose because it lacks distinct symptoms. However, one of the most identifiable symptoms of lupus is a ring-shaped rash on the face.

Lupus can be caused by a number of factors like:

Excessive exposure to sunlight
Susceptibility towards infections
Certain anti-seizure, blood pressure and antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
The symptoms are neither distinct nor regular. However, some common symptoms could be-

Fatigue and fever
Pain in the joints, stiffness and swelling
Ring-shaped facial rash
Skin lesions on exposure to the sun
Chest pain and shortness of breath
What else can lupus lead to?

Several complications may arise if lupus is left untreated. Some of them are-

Kidney damage and failure
Hallucination, seizures, strokes and several other problems associated with the brain and the central nervous system
Anemia, blood clotting, vasculitis etc.
Increased susceptibility to pneumonia
Increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases
Treatment
Lupus is a significantly dangerous disease and medical help should be immediately sought if you think that you have symptoms associated with it. Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms of individual patients.

Aging is natural and inevitable. But today, sun damage and pollution are speeding up the process of aging. As your skin ages, you might start feeling terrible about your appearance. Luckily, modern technology and science have a solution to that. Nowadays, there are too many anti-aging treatments available, and Botox and fillers are the latest craze. And it could get confusing for some people to correctly distinguish between them. Read on to know more about what both these anti wrinkle treatments are all about and what they do for you.

Botox
What is Botox?
Botox is made from the neurotoxin named botulinum toxin. Botox injections basically freeze the muscles under wrinkles.

What are its advantages?
Some advantages of Botox include
1. The muscles are relaxed, which makes the skin seem tighter and smoother
2. Lines on your forehead, between (furrow lines) and around your eyes (crow s feet) are best treated with Botox and hence are considered the best skin tightening treatment.

What are its disadvantages?
Botox has certain disadvantages as well, such as
1. Finer lines cannot be fixed with Botox which makes it a non-inclusive treatment
2. There are side effects of using Botox, such as droopy eyelids, facial pain, muscle weakness or eyelid swelling.

FILLERS

What are fillers?
Wrinkle fillers are injected under the skin to give volume and fill out wrinkles, thus smoothening them and making the skin look younger. Fillers usually contain natural acids such as hyaluronic acid, or synthetic acids like silicone. Collagen fillers can also be used.

What are its advantages?
The advantages of fillers include
1. They are non-invasive
2. The procedure doesn t take too much time
3. Side effects are hardly severe and often lessen on their own
4. Fillers need less time for recovery
5. Fillers are best for fine lines around the nose and lip. Also laugh lines are better treated with fillers.

What are its disadvantages?
Some disadvantages of fillers include
1. More than one course is needed for optimum results
2. Skin weakness is a common side effect which leads to scarring
3. Deep wrinkles and scarring cannot be resolved with fillers

Earaches can make life miserable. At times, the pain gets so intense that it throws life in jeopardy. This is where homeopathic medicines come as a huge relief. Earaches of different origins can be effectively treated with homeopathic medicines.

* Chamomilla: Chamomilla is the best homeopathic relief for people suffering from excruciating earache. The pain usually aggravates at night. The maddening pain leaves the person mentally very agitated. The medicine is equally helpful for children who get agitated and irritated due to the unbearable pain.

* Pulsatilla: At times, the earache is accompanied by a thick (mostly greenish) discharge from the ear. As a result, the ear feels quite heavy. A person might also experience difficulty in hearing. The darting pain is at its worst self at night. Such earaches and associated symptoms are best treated with the homeopathic medicine, Pulsatilla.

* Sometimes, even a little exposure to cold air can result in earaches. Worse still, there is pus like discharge from the ear and fever. The ear is very sensitive to touch. Hepar Sulph is an ideal homeopathic remedy under such circumstances. Psorinum is mainly used when the pus like discharge has a very unpleasant odour.

* At times, dental problems and throat infections can result in severe earache. Homeopathy has a solution for all. Plantago is an excellent homeopathic medicine to treat earaches resulting from toothache. Merc Sol is effective against earaches originating from dental problems. In such cases, there may be blood or yellow discharge from the ear. The pain gets unbearable at night.

Lachesis and Phytollaca are known to provide great relief from earaches resulting from throat infections. Lachesis is helpful when the throat pain slowly shoots up to the left ear. Swallowing of food makes the situation worse. Phytollaca, on the other hand, is the best medicine when the shooting ear pain is right sided. Belladonna helps to deal with severe and throbbing ear pain.

* Infection of the Otitis Media (middle ear) is a common factor, resulting in earaches. There may be fever and pus like discharge. The hearing is also greatly impaired. At night, the pain reaches the superlative degree. Go for Hepar Sulph if the pain intensifies upon slightest exposure to cold air. Use Belladona in case the ear infection is at a very nascent stage. Pulsatilla is equally effective to treat such earaches.

* Many a times, the ear pain can be of nerve origin. It is more of a facial pain, with the ear being affected. Verbascum Thapsus (Mullen Oil) can be of great help and can also be effectively used as an ear drop to provide some relief.

An unpleasant experience which not only disturbs the usual routine of a person but also the psychological peace and causes extreme discomfort is called pain. When this pain involves the region above the neck, below the orbitomeatal line and in front of the ear is called as orofacial pain.

Multiple causes for orofacial pain may exist and the symptoms may include such diverse findings as headaches, neck pain, ear pain, dental pain, facial burning or stabbing sensations, and jaw joint pain.

The complaints may either develop gradually or have a rapid onset and can originate from musculoskeletal, neurovascular or neuropathic causes.

Sources of orofacial pain may include:

Trigeminal Neuropathy ant damage or degeneration to the trigeminal nerves that supply mainly to the facial structures causes the orofacial pain. This is commonly referred to as trigeminal neuralgia.

Neurovascular Disorder migraine is the most common neurovascular disorder that causes radiating pain to the mouth eyes and other facial muscles.

Temporomandibular Disorder the major cause of orofacial pain is the temporomandibular joint disorder which causes pain in the lower jaws. Orofacial pain may also be caused by any temporomandibular joint surgeries and due to failure of joint replacement surgery of the jaw.

Burning Mouth Syndrome this condition is caused due to nerve damage, lack of adequate saliva production, fungal infection, certain medications and also noted for patients with diabetes. Orofacial pain is also noted in burning mouth syndrome.

Cervicalgia pain due to spinal cord injury, damage to a spinal nerve, muscle and ligaments may radiate to face and cause orofacial pain.

Trauma accident is the most common cause of the temporomandibular disorder and other spinal disorder that causes orofacial pain.

Sleep disorders sleep disorders include grinding or clenching of the teeth during sleep may also cause orofacial pain.

Symptoms

Though orofacial pain is caused by several factors, its symptoms include dental pain, ear pain, neck pain, headache, pain in the jaw joint and stabbing sensation over the face. Some patients may also experience burning sensation over the face. Other symptoms include dizziness, insomnia, tinnitus (abnormal ringing or roaring sound in ears), poor muscle coordination, abnormal itching over the face and neck and tingling sensation.

Some diseases like Bell s Palsy have a sudden onset. One moment everything is fine and the next, half your face feels paralysed. Bell s Palsy is a viral infection that causes temporary paralysis of one side of the face. The exact cause is unknown but this virus is said to be related to the herpes virus. The sudden onset of this condition can make a person believe that they have suffered a stroke and this condition can last for several months. Many people do not completely recover from this condition. A numb sensation, lack of control over the lips and eyelids, drooping of one side of the face and an inability to smile or blink are some of the symptoms of this condition.

Homeopathy has been used to treat a number of Bell s Palsy cases successfully. However, the results vary from person to person and the extent of nerve damage done. This form of treatment does not address only the visible symptoms but addresses the physical, mental and emotional health of a person as a whole. Since homeopathy has negligible side effects, it can be prescribed to children and adults alike. Some common homeopathic remedies for Bell s Palsy are:

Aconite and Causticum: Aconite is prescribed in the initial stages of this condition especially is paralysis seems to have set in after exposure to a cold draft. Patients who can benefit from aconite often also complain of a tingling sensation on the affected side of the face. On the other hand, causticum is prescribed to treat chronic cases of facial paralysis.

Hypericum: This is the most preferred homoeopathic remedy in cases of paralysis caused due to injury to a nerve. In addition to the symptoms of Bell s Palsy, the patient may also complain of tingling or numbing sensations and burning sensations on the affected side of the face.

Ignatia: Bell s Palsy can also be triggered by grief. In such cases, Ignatia has been proven to be quite effective. It also resolves excessive saliva production and frequent biting of cheeks of the tongue while talking and swallowing.

Cadmium Sulph: Bell s Palsy that develops as a result of a sudden haemorrhagic condition can be treated with Cadmium Sulph. In such cases, the patient may have a distorted face and may face difficulties swallowing food and speaking properly. He or she may also be unable to close the eye on the affected side of the face.

Bacillinum and Causticum: The medicines are prescribed in cases of Bell s Palsy triggered by the suppression of facial eruptions.

Bell s palsy is a muscle paralysis that occurs on one side of your face. The dysfunction of facial nerves can cause sagging on a side of your face. Due to Bell's palsy, the facial nerves lose the ability to control regular facial movements.

Symptoms
Usually, if a person gets Bell's palsy, then he or she may be encountering the following symptoms:
Twitching

Weakness
Paralysis
Drooping eyelid or corner of mouth
Drooling
Dry eye or mouth
Excessive tearing in the eye
Impaired ability to taste
Generally, the symptoms start all of a sudden and worsen within two days. Symptoms can be mild or severe, depending on the severity of the disease.

Causes
Inflammation around the facial nerves causes Bell's palsy. But there is no particular reason behind the infection. Mostly, viral infections are the reason behind it. Research states that (herpes simplex) or the cold sore virus, (varicella zoster) or chickenpox virus is responsible and causes Bell's palsy.

Homeopathic treatment for Bell's palsy
Treating Bell's palsy with homeopathy is safe and effective as it has proven to cure Bell's palsy from the roots. The top 10 homeopathic medicines, which have proven to produce good results on Bell's palsy patients, are discussed below.

Aconitum napellus: When one side of the face gets paralyzed due to the exposure to cold, then aconitum napellus works well. Symptoms such as trepidation, fear and weakness on face muscles strongly signify the need for this medicine.
Agaricus: When the facial muscle of one side feels stiff and the opposite side of the face encounters pain and twitching, then you might need this remedy. Symptoms such as anxiety and over-excitement are some indications for the need of this medicine.
Cadmium sulphuratum: When Bell's palsy affects the left side of the face due to exposure to cold, then you might need this medicine. Symptoms like feeling cold and experiencing weakness strongly indicate the need for this medicine. Apart from this, the patient might encounter symptoms such as deformation of mouth and tendency to close eyes often.
Causticum: This remedy works well when Bell's palsy affects the right side of the face. The patient might feel difficulties while opening or closing his or her mouth. In fact, the patient often tends to bite the tongue and inside of the mouth. Symptoms such as restlessness and weakness, are indications that you need this medicine.
Cocculus: When you suffer from one side of facial paralysis with symptoms like dizziness, weakness and lack of sleep, these indicate the need for this remedy.
Dulcamara: One-sided facial paralysis with symptoms like difficulty in speaking clearly indicate you need this remedy.
Nux vomica: One-sided facial paralysis with symptoms like irritation, being impatient etc. are treated by this medicine.
Platina: This remedy works well on one-sided facial paralysis which feels painless.
Hypericum: Facial neuralgia, itching, toothache, tension and shooting pain are the symptoms, which indicate the need for this remedy.
Belladonna: One-sided facial paralysis with symptoms such as twitching, facial neuralgia, pain etc. indicate the need for this medicine.