What Are the Treatments for Bell’s Palsy?
There aren’t any that can stop it. If your doctor suggests your symptoms might be triggered by the herpes virus (herpes simplex 1) or by shingles (herpes zoster), he may give you an antiviral medication, like acyclovir. But there’s no research to show these medications work to reduce Bell’s palsy symptoms.
Your doctor may also give you a short course of corticosteroids (like prednisone). The goal is to decrease swelling of your facial nerve. This may shorten the duration of your Bell’s palsy symptoms.
In the meantime, your doctor will tell you to take extra care to protect your eye on the affected side. He may suggest you wear an eye patch, since you won’t be able to blink. If your eyes are tearing less than normal, you may have to use eye drops to keep them from drying out.
Finally, your doctor may suggest massage of your facial muscles. In very rare cases — where symptoms don’t improve after some time — he may suggest surgery to reduce pressure on your facial nerve.
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