Health

You wake up with facial paralysis, you can no longer close one eye. It is probably paralysis a frigore. A few concepts will help you understand its likely origin, its management and the steps to take if you have such paralysis.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

In the event of any facial paralysis, you must urgently consult your doctor. He or she may refer you to a specialist, neurologist, ophthalmologist or ENT specialist depending on the clinical signs presented during the examination.
There is a good chance that it is paralysis a frigore. However, it is important to check that the symptoms are not related to a more serious pathology.

WHAT IS FACIAL PARALYSIS A FRIGORE?

Facial paralysis a frigore, or acute idiopathic facial paralysis, is the most common form of facial paralysis.
It begins suddenly, most often upon waking. Its intensity is at its maximum from the first signs or becomes so in less than two days. It is generally asymmetrical, affecting only one side of the face: disappearance of forehead wrinkles, lowering of the eyebrow, failure to close the eye with tilting of the eyeball upwards, lowering of the corner of the lips, inability to puff out the cheek, to contract the neck muscle (platycus).
Certain warning or associated signs may be present: pain in the ear or behind the ear, flu syndrome, headaches, altered taste (dysgeusia), decreased tears, sounds perceived as too loud and painful on one side (painful ipsilateral hyperacusis), sensation of numbness of the face.
This paralysis is isolated, there are no other disorders outside the face.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE?

It has no known cause (idiopathic), but can sometimes be the result of a reactivation of a herpes virus, which then creates inflammation of the facial nerves.

HOW DOES FACIAL PARALYSIS DEVELOP?

Most often, the spontaneous evolution is favorable (except, most often, in elderly subjects) and complete recovery in less than two months.
Nevertheless, an urgent consultation is always necessary to start a specific treatment and eliminate a cause requiring special care.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE TREATMENTS?

Few treatments have been validated.
The main thing is to protect the eye, because due to its failure to close, the cornea is exposed. It is important to treat it preventively (artificial tears, antiseptic eye drops and vitamin A eye ointment in the evening) and by closing the eyelid during the night with a plaster.
Any redness, dryness or eye pain should lead you to urgently consult the ophthalmologist if he can see you or your general practitioner. The most common facial paralysis is paralysis a frigore. Most often, it evolves spontaneously in a favorable way but you must urgently consult your doctor who will judge the follow-up to be given, drug treatment, specialized consultation or both. Rehabilitation is essential for severe forms, in order to limit the after-effects.