Distinguishing central and peripheral facial paralysis is not easy for those who do not study medicine, the following article will help patients know which case they are in. The article below shall give you the answer you are looking for.
What is facial paralysis?
Facial paralysis, also known as 7th nerve palsy, is the top of facial nerve diseases. Facial paralysis is divided into two types, central and peripheral nerve palsy. This is a condition in which part or all of the muscles of the face are lost due to nerve damage. The disease causes the facial muscles to sag and weakens, which can appear on one or both sides of the facial muscles.
The 7th nerve is responsible for the movement of the muscles of the face, neck, and stapes. In addition, this nerve also plays a role in controlling the activities of the tear gland, submandibular gland, sublingual, nasal mucus … Next, it also takes on the taste ⅔ the front tongue area and the sensation in the mouth….
Facial paralysis can appear in anyone regardless of age, gender.
A touching story of the man who suffers from facial paralysis for 4 years
The differences between central and peripheral facial paralysis
| Central facial paralysis | Peripheral facial paralysis | |
| Cause | Cerebrovascular accident Brain tumors Brain abscess | Cold weather Damaged ear Inflammation, tumors  Injury leading to broken petrous bones |
| Damaged brain location | Above facial nucleus | Below the facial nucleus |
| Individual | Occurs in the elderly suddenly and acutely. Accompanied by hemiplegia, which is common in the upper limbs. | Occurs at any age with pain behind the ear, gradually weaken, and lasts from 1 to 2 days, not suddenly. |
| Symptoms when resting the face | Normal | Normal, low eye blinking frequency The side of the paralyzed area is usually squinted if the patient has complete peripheral facial paralysis. |
| Facial muscles | Eyes are usually closed. The frontal branch is mildly affected. | In case of complete paralysis, the patient’s eyes are difficult to close (those who are partially injured can close their eyes). The frontal branch is affected similarly to the other branches. |
| Side effects | May be accompanied by an ipsilateral weak tongue or ipsilateral central hemiparesis. | Taste in the ⅔ of the tongue is lost, the secretion of tears + saliva is impaired, the electromyography is lost in the nerve distribution. |
Korean Prof. Dr. Park Sung Yong analyzes and evaluates the treatment results for the customer at Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital
Is 7th nerve palsy treatment hard to implement?
Facial paralysis can be treated if it is detected in time and the right method is chosen. Depending on the condition and severity of the disease, the doctor will suggest an appropriate treatment method.
If detected early, the treatment is not too hard, the golden time to treat facial paralysis is when the disease is newly detected and applying massage combined with acupuncture. If treated early, the disease will be cured after 3 weeks and the recovery rate is very high.
In some cases, medical or surgical measures will be performed or both methods will be applied simultaneously to enhance the treatment effect.
Particularly for patients with peripheral facial paralysis, they will be applied mainly with supportive neuroleptic drugs. In addition, the patient is prescribed to have a combination of antiviral drugs in case of illness due to viral infection.
For patients with central facial paralysis, they will be indicated to use corticosteroid injection or oral medications. Early treatment is essential because late treatment will cause irreversible nerve degeneration and edema. In addition, the patient may be prescribed antibiotics if there is an infection or anti-viral drugs if they have shingles.
For patients who’ve had facial paralysis for years, the above methods are no longer effective. At this point, surgical intervention is required. Depending on the type and severity of the disease, the doctor of Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital shall choose the appropriate method. At Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital, the treatment method has been researched and improved, along with physical therapy to help patients with long-term facial paralysis recover up to 95-98%.
Distinguishing between central and peripheral facial paralysis is for appropriate treatment. Early detection of the disease is essential for a better recovery rate.
Treatment results for facial paralysis at Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital
Husband brings his wife across the country to have facial paralysis treatment
Review for facial paralysis treatment – Give her back a perfect smile after years of suffering from 7th nerve palsy
Her only happiness is to recover from facial paralysis after countless times of unsuccessful treatments
After 20 years of suffering from facial paralysis, how did Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital give her back a perfect smile?
Her niece recommended her to have facial paralysis treatment at Gangwhoo Cosmetic Hospital
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