When having facial paralysis, you will lose complete control of your facial emotions. You will not be able to show any sign of happiness, sadness, or even frown. Treatment for cranial nerve 7 paralysis is not easy. In addition to the prescribed medications and the physiotherapy instructed by the doctors, you daily meal is also very imporatnt. Take a look at what’s not to eat when having facial palsy to find out the most optimal menu for the problem.
What’s not to eat when having facial palsy?
1. Fried, oily, and fatty food
Fried, oily, and fatty food is on top of the “What’s not to eat when having facial palsy” list. In fact, you should stop eating these things entirely as they are not healthy even for a normal person.
Therefore, it is obvious that people with facial palsy must not eat fried food. The amount of fat inside these dishes will affect the damaged areas of the cranial nerve 7, worsening the condition and lowering the chance of recovery.
2. All alcohol and fizzy drinks
Taking the second spot on the “What’s not to eat when having facial palsy” list is alcohol and fizzy drink. These beverages, when entering the body, will go into the blood possibly destroy the already damaged nervous system of the patient, making the condition worsen and impossible to be treated.
The reason is that fizzy drinks contain lots of acids. When being consumed, the nervous system inside of the mouth can feel it can react to it. This is why you can feel a slight burn when the drink enters your mouth.
For an average person, this burning “sensation” is quite refreshing. However, it will only irritate the patient with facial palsy. This drawback is also applied to alcohol as well. In fact, drinking alcohol can actually damage the nerves greater than having fizzy drinks.
Check out: Facial paralysis and its treatment
3. Food with lots of arginine amino acid
to a normal person, arginine amino acid is not bad for that body. In fact, this amino acid plays a crucial role in the protein synthesis of the body. However, it is not helpful for people with facial palsy/cranial nerve 7 paralysis at all.
The food that is rich in this amino acid like chicken, pork rib, soybean, flour, etc. is placed among the list of “What’s not to eat when having facial palsy”.
4. Refined cereals
At the bottom of the “What’s not to eat when having facial palsy?” list is the refined cereals. Different from pure cereals which are highly recommended by experts, refined cereals are what you must avoid at all costs.
To be more specific, eating too much refined cereal during your daily meal will cause your body to be lack vitamin B. This lack of vitamin B can lead to greater consequences like stimulated nerves, reduction of sight, etc. And obviously, those with these conditions can experience more difficulty in treating the problem.
5. Have a logical routine and rest
As people with facial palsy will have a harder time adjusting their facial muscles, they require further cleaning. For the eyes region, saline, artificial tears, or lotion is recommended to moisten the eyes. Also, to avoid conjunctivitis due to the inability to fully close the eyes when sleeping, a soft towel should be used to pull the eyelid of the paralyzed side.
In addition to that, the inside of the patient’s mouth tends to have food leftover due to the uncontrollable saliva glands and difficulty in mouth washing. Their closed ones should assist them to avoid stomatitis.
Peripheral facial palsy can severely affect the mental health of the patient as they become less confident in their look, creating negative thoughts and feeling in their mind. Therefore, try to create a positive and comfortable living environment for the patient with a scientific diet and frequent exercise to boost their immune system – a great help for the recovery.
The 4 groups of food above must have solved your question about “What’s not to eat when having facial palsy?”. If you ever need further help with your facial condition, you can visit and message our website.
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