Nerve Facial: Causes of Affection, Symptoms and Treatment

Among all nervous cranial disorders, the damage to the facial nerve takes a leading place. The development of this disease causes paralysis of the muscle of the half of the face, as a result of which the patient is seriously injured not only physically but also psychologically. The consequence of this condition can be neuroparalytic keratitis, which often leads to complete blindness. The reasons for which the facial nerve is most often affected is the removal of tumors in the face, operations on the hearing organs, trauma of the brain and skull, accompanied by bone fractures, neck injuries, and the development of inflammatory processes such as neuritis.

Symptoms of facial nerve disorder

The disease manifests itself as follows:

- atrophy of the facial muscles of the half of the face with possible paralysis;

- pronounced muscular asymmetry even at rest;

- Smoothness of wrinkles on the affected side;

- violation of swallowing and chewing processes;

- lack of movements of the lower eyelid;

- violation of tearing.

Types of facial neuritis

If the facial nerve is affected for the first time - this often indicates the result of a cold disease. With severe supercooling, swelling of tissues and spasm of the vessels occur, which leads to a breakdown in nervous nutrition and such pronounced pathological changes as paralysis. Secondary neuritis is a consequence of intoxication of the body, infectious diseases, encephalitis, inflammatory and neoplastic processes, hypertensive crises, as well as mumps and otitis.

How to treat the facial nerve

Partially disturbed nerve conduction requires conservative treatment, which should be prescribed exclusively by a physician specializing in pathological changes in the peripheral nerves. The complex of the main measures to which the facial nerve is exposed includes corticosteroid injections, muscle electrostimulation, exercise therapy, massage, and the intake of vitamins and preparations that improve microcirculation. In some cases, the patient is prescribed acupuncture, but this procedure contributes to the early contracture of the facial muscles. It should be noted that the most relevant diagnostic methods that allow you to examine the facial nerve, to date, are MRI and EMG. If the patient has a complete impairment of nerve conduction for several months, surgical treatment is performed, the expediency of which is determined by the doctor, based on individual indicators of the patient's health status.

Types of operations on the facial nerve

The surgeon can determine the feasibility of one of the following operations:

- Nervous decompression in the fallopian canal;

- seam, autoplasty and neurolysis of the nerve;

- reinnervation is carried out if it is impossible to restore the integrity of the trunk;

- plastic surgery, correcting cosmetic defect.

In any case, whatever method of treatment is used to achieve a lasting effect, this problem should be treated with all seriousness, and competent postoperative rehabilitation will allow you to maintain your health and attractiveness for a long time.