Bells Palsy

[Meid]

Last year, my friend's dd had Bells Palsy, which apparently is very rare in children (she's 6). She recovered well after physio and has been discharged from the hospital. However, my friend took her to the optician today because she thought her eyes have beeing looking a bit odd since the Bells Palsy. The optician said that although her dd has perfect eyesight she has one eye bigger than the other and one eye slightly sunken. He said the problem could be neurological and has referred her to the hospital. My friend didn't want to ask questions in front of her dd so we were hoping that there might be a mumsnetter out there who could shed some light on what the problem could be!
Many thanks!
Meid

I would recommend phoning the optician for further information rather than getting information that might not be correct from mumsnet. The optician will be able to give more accurate advice based on this individual problem. Your friend has every right to get more information from him - I am it will be more reassuring to speak to him.

missed out the word 'sure'.

I have known two friends who have had Bell's Palsy. They "contracted" it at age 20ish and age 40ish. Both ended up with one side of their face slightly droopy. One was told that it takes about 18 months to 2 years to recover and that her facial muscles may recover themselves in that time. Unfortunately for her they didn't. Didn't affect her eyesight at all.

My sister had it as a child with no long term prolems and eye sight unaffected. Good luck to your friend anyway!

My sister has just rung me to tell me she has Bells Palsy - she's 45. It sounds really alarming. Is there anything she can do to improve matters?

Yes, Bell's Palsy is now treatable! You have to get a really up-to-date Dr. though. Used to be that the best recommendation was just to wait but my father had it a couple years ago the Dr. said he wanted to try something new and gave him anti-virals and it resolved completely in less than 2 weeks. (By contrast, my stepfather had it earlier and it never resolved completely.)

Thanks for that info cg, I'll pass it on to my sis x

Maybe her eye was effected because there wasn't any growth whilst she had the palsy - my dad had it - doctor said it was from a cold/virus in the nerve in his ear from driving a convertible (??) and it took him about a year to recover fully - but all I can think is that because he was fuilly grown there wasn't any interuptions to his growth??

spacemonkey my mum had in her 20s and it went with a few weeks, it really does vary

thanks Fio, that's reassuring. I realise there's no way of knowing how long it will take her to recover - depends on severity of damage to the nerve. Her symptoms sound absolutely awful though! Her eye is constantly streaming so she can't drive, read or watch TV. She says when she eats she looks like a picasso painting, she is drooling and one side of her face is generally drooping. Her speech sounds OK, just slightly lispy.

a mum at school had bells palsy last year - she woke up and her face was droopy on one side. She immediately went to doc who prescribed steroids (i think) after diagnosing bells and she has made a complete recovery. Apparently the trick is to treat it immediately!!

Agree with Fio2, it's so variable. But great there is new treatment, because of the three adults I know who have had it, two recovered completely, one very quickly, and one was left really quite noticeably changed facially. Interestingly, he was a man and I bet he didn't go to his GP quickly enough...you know what they can be like!
Hope your sister gets good, prompt treatment, Spacemonkey, and that she feels better soon. Bells Palsy may not be life-threatening but it's not a nice thing to have.

www.bellspalsy.org.uk/main.htm

Is the website for the Bells Palsy organisation - full of good advice - there is even a discussion board!!

This is what is worrying me - I think it started at the weekend, and she hasn't actually had a proper consultation with a doctor about it yet. Typical nurse! She works in a hospital and has just spoken to several of the doctors there about it. TBH she didn't take it very seriously and thought it would go away by itself in a few days, so she was quite shocked to find out that it can actually take months to recover

I will ring her and nag her to see a doc ASAP!

thanks for the link twinkie, I'll check it out

She sounded fine about it on the phone, but IMO anything that affects the face is psychologically pretty traumatic and I think she's more upset about it than she's admitting.

I developed it when 38 weeks pg with DD1. It was weird how it came on so gradually. It lasted about a month and is fine now. They gave me steroids at A and E and DD1 was also fine, though I was obviously concerned at taking them while pregnant.
I did feel like a freakshow at the time because I had a huge bump and also half a face which didn't move. All the first pictures of me with DD1 are quite grim - I was so thrilled, but couldn't smile properly. I am glad it hasn't had any lasting effects, and it didn't happen when pg with DD2, so I'm hoping it won't happen again with this pregnancy.

Sm, dh's brother had Bell's Palsy a couple of years ago - he's absolutely fine now, recovered fairly quickly (weeks rather than months) and hasn't had a recurrence since. I'm not sure if he had any treatment - will ask dh later.

ta for all your messages

she has seen her doctor who has said that there is no evidence that steroids or anti virals actually do anything - in other words they're just leaving it to get better by itself

thankfully the symptoms haven't worsened

Meid, spacemonkey

any updates for us on your friend's daughter and her eye/your sister with Bells palsy?

hope they are both OK