Facial nerve paralysis cases rising in post-Covid patients

Many patients have encountered the neurological complication -- Bell's palsy -- during the second wave

Coronavirus is linked to severe neurological complications like brain fog, encephalitis, or meningitis. Now, Covid-19 is also causing temporary facial paralysis known as Bell’s palsy in patients.

Earlier, many Covid-19 patients after getting discharged reported neurological complications like Guillain Barre Syndrome, dementia, meningitis, encephalitis, and even mucormycosis, a rare fungal infection. Now, Covid has also been associated with Bell’s palsy or facial palsy that can be described as a facial nerve disorder.

A patient visited the Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur with one-sided paralysis of the face and had incomplete closure of eyes, difficulty in eating, dropping off the face, and other facial movements.

He was successfully treated with medicines and physiotherapy and was completely cured with 3 weeks of physiotherapy treatment. There are many patients like him who have encountered this neurological complication during the second wave who was successfully treated at Zen Multispeciality Hospital.

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Dr Vinith Karanth, Consulting Physiotherapist at Zen Multispeciality Hospital said, “Bell’s palsy is the sudden weakness in the muscles on one half of the face due to inflammation to the facial nerve due to viral infection. The facial nerve controls the action of facial muscles and in Bell’s palsy, it stops sending signals to the facial muscles which lead to paralysis/ weakness of the muscles on a temporary basis and either of the sides can get affected. This viral infection can be due to impaired immunity which is commonly seen in patients post covid.”

Dr Karanth added, “Since last year, there is a drastic increase in the number of Bell’s palsy cases coming to the physiotherapy department particularly patients with a history of covid-19 infection. In the last few months, around 3-4 post-Covid patients including young and old are appearing with this problem on a daily basis. Before Covid, we used to see such cases appearing very rarely 1-2 cases in a month. Even asymptomatic patients who have recovered from Covid can suffer from Bell’s palsy.”

The Bell’s palsy symptoms which can crop up after 1-2 months of recovery from Covid are a weakness on one side of the face, drooping of the mouth, facial pain, loss of taste, difficulty with speech, difficulty in eating and chewing food, eyes cannot close completely and one can suffer from eye infections because of that.”

There are two types of paralysis -- one is an upper motor neuron paralysis related to the brain and spinal cord and the other one is lower motor neuron paralysis which is linked to the peripheral nerves. Bell’s palsy is the lower motor type of paralysis. So, if there is any sign of weakness you feel then visit the neurologist who will help you with the correct diagnosis and once diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, he will guide you with a treatment plan with Medicines and Physiotherapy.

“Along with the medical management of steroids and antivirals, physiotherapy management which includes stimulation of the facial nerve with therapeutic currents and facial exercises helps in faster recovery. Facial nerve stimulation helps to restore the muscle tone of the flabby facial muscles. Early diagnosis and timely intervention are the keys to manage this condition promptly,” concluded Dr Karanth.