how long to bell's palsy recovery?

Hi my daughter 17 yr old woke up with a strange twist below her left lip, then she cannot close her left eye properly. I made a research and came across with this site, all symptoms are pertaining to BP and since its midnight and we cannot go to the doctor yet, i am quite hysterical on what should we do. I am wondering where it came from? there's no one in our family that have BP, and i am so worried about my daughter, she's been crying. Please help. J

I have  Bell's Palsy I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago I was on vacation and woke up one morning with it. I am a teacher and am suppose to be returning to work in September, however, going back to work will be very hard, because I already have to repeat my self over and over because I teach special education students. Can anyone give me suggestions as to how to protect the eye during the day. I work in a very busy high school.

i got bells palsy 31 july last year and i still waiting to recover from it docter say it may take up to 2 years to get better i learn not to look at my face and if people ask i just tell them i was offer surgren but it only 20% that it will work so it not worth trying it all i can say take every day as a time and like me u just learn to live with it

a eye patch and put eye drop in every hour

I am 46 years old and on WEDNESDAY I WOKE UP TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SWOLLEN LIP, I HAVE NICE SIZED LIPS SO IT WASNT LIKE YOU COULD OUTRIGHT NOTICE, ALSO I NOTICE THE SHIFT IF THE FEATURES OF MY FACE AND THATS WHEN THE PANIC BEGAN. RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL CONCERNED OF THE WORST CASE CENERIO. THE NURSE SAYS, THAT LOOKS LIKE BELLS AND IM LIKE BELLS, BUT TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, ITS MY SECOND DAY AND I AGREE IT IS ANNOYING AND I HAVENT BUILT UP THE COURAGE TO BE AROUND PEOPLE YET. MY FIRST TEST WAS MY FAMILY AND AS BRUTALLY HONEST AS MY CHILDREN IS, I FEEL THAT BY THIER RESPONSE IT MUST NOT BE AS BAD AS I THINK. THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE CHARACTER TWO FACE FROM THE MOVIE BATMAN WHEN I ATTEMPT TO SMILE AND ITS NOTHING COOL ABOUT THAT. SO LOOKING FOR A BETTER DAY AND SMILE (ITS MY TRADEMARxd

My son got bells 2 days ago. He is 25 and his trade mark is also his smile. He is pretty upset. we are seeing a laser specialist tomorrow and trying that route as well as anti viral meds and prednisone. The hospital forgot to tell us about the eye drops every hour nd the night time lubricant and the patch so after one day his eye is ulcerated. I went and bought all the supplies and he seems a little better but no change in his face yet. We are hoping that with time and physio he will look better. For now he looks like he has been to the dentist-swollen botton lip immoble tiop lip and no movement of his eyebrows and droopy eye lid.
It seems like it will take time. Oh it started witha yawn. Plus he has herpes simplex (coldsore) virus which is a common sympton.
I wish you the best and know that you are not alone in the journey.
emma

THANK YOU EMMA FOR YOUR REPLY, IT HAS BEEN 5 DAYS AND IVE HAD SENSATIONS IN MY NERVES  ON THE LEFT SIDE, ATTITUDE AND EXCEPTION OF THE PROCESS SEEMS TO KEEP ME ENCOURAGED AND RESEARCHING WHAT OTHERS THAT HAVE SHARED THIS PROCESS HAS SHOWN ME THAT ITS NOT A CURSE, AND THAT ITS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AND I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS, STILL LOOKING FOR MY SMIL:-P

Hi everyone. On Sunday, 3 1/2 weeks ago, I got what I thought was an eye infection (conjunctivitis), so I put in some eye drops (from the last time I had it. But looking at the mirror I noticed that my smile was only 1/2 there. ... quick trip to the emergency room (you know, for a stroke, as I'm 62 years young), and bingo - immediately diagnosed as Bell's Palsy. Next day to the primary care doctor who told me there was probably no connection to the root canal I had had 4 days earlier - as it was on the other side of my face - and that there was no KNOWN cure. Sooo... we tried a week on Vallium and a week of Pednisone (sorry if my spelling is off), even tried Valtrex (for cold sores/herpies simplex 1, of which I was showing no symptoms, but what the heck?). I also went to my eye doctor (who prescribes my contacts) and he told me that I could either wear a NON-CORRECTIVE contact lens, or go back to wearing my regular contacts (that I use for both reading and distance - they're bifocal contacts). THAT CURED THE DRY EYE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. The contact lens is hydrophillic - which means it holds eye fluids inside it. So it protects the cornia from drying out, even if you have to use your finger to manually blink the eye from time-to-time. The end result - no change after a week - except that the eye wasn't dried out anymore. A BIG PLUS! Week 2: Tried general acupuncture, outside of clobbering my wallet, there was no observable change so I stopped that financial hemorrhage too. Week 3: No change. However, while walking my dog, one of the other dog owners told me that she had had Bell's Palsy and had made a fast and complete recovery by going to a neuro-acupuncturist. Which I have just started (3 days ago). I was able to get an appointment with them and now I am able to close my left eye completely, have started being able to blink without also closing my good eye, I'm beginning to be able to move my affected eye brow, and the side of my mouth is beginning to show muscle activity (which was another PITA as I also could not play either my clarinet or my trumpet). I have appointments all week and am getting excited at the improvements I'm beginning to see. Woo Hoo! There is no way to tell if the improvements are due to the neuro-acupuncturist or the time since the onset of the Bell's Palsy. But this time I'm willing to pay for the treatment as it was directly targeted at the Bell's Palsy and included massage, manual manipulation of affected muscles, and a bunch of needles too (of course). I even have to sleep with some of them. All in all, it seems to be getting better, but a positive attitude is without the best cure. There are no guarantees in this life and I'd much prefer to have this than a stroke, or be blind in one eye, or lots of other stuff. Best wishes to you all. And I hope this helps someone out there.

Hi everyone. On Sunday, 3 1/2 weeks ago, I got what I thought was an eye infection (conjunctivitis), so I put in some eye drops (from the last time I had it. But looking at the mirror I noticed that my smile was only 1/2 there. ... quick trip to the emergency room (you know, for a stroke, as I'm 62 years young), and bingo - immediately diagnosed as Bell's Palsy.

Next day to the primary care doctor who told me there was probably no connection to the root canal I had had 4 days earlier - as it was on the other side of my face - and that there was no KNOWN cure. Sooo... we tried a week on Vallium and a week of Pednisone (sorry if my spelling is off), even tried Valtrex (for cold sores/herpies simplex 1, of which I was showing no symptoms, but what the heck?).

I also went to my eye doctor (who prescribes my contacts) and he told me that I could either wear a NON-CORRECTIVE contact lens, or go back to wearing my regular contacts (that I use for both reading and distance - they're bifocal contacts). THAT CURED THE DRY EYE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. The contact lens is hydrophillic - which means it holds eye fluids inside it. So it protects the cornia from drying out, even if you have to use your finger to manually blink the eye from time-to-time. The end result - no change after a week - except that the eye wasn't dried out anymore. A BIG PLUS!

Week 2:

Tried general acupuncture, outside of clobbering my wallet, there was no observable change so I stopped that financial hemorrhage too.

Week 3:

No change. However, while walking my dog, one of the other dog owners told me that she had had Bell's Palsy and had made a fast and complete recovery by going to a neuro-acupuncturist. Which I have just started (3 days ago).

I was able to get an appointment with them and now I am able to close my left eye completely, have started being able to blink without also closing my good eye, I'm beginning to be able to move my affected eye brow, and the side of my mouth is beginning to show muscle activity (which was another PITA as I also could not play either my clarinet or my trumpet). I have appointments all week and am getting excited at the improvements I'm beginning to see. Woo Hoo!

There is no way to tell if the improvements are due to the neuro-acupuncturist or the time since the onset of the Bell's Palsy. But this time I'm willing to pay for the treatment as it was directly targeted at the Bell's Palsy and included massage, manual manipulation of affected muscles, and a bunch of needles too (of course). I even have to sleep with some of them. All in all, it seems to be getting better, but a positive attitude is without the best cure.

There are no guarantees in this life and I'd much prefer to have this than a stroke, or be blind in one eye, or lots of other stuff.

Best wishes to you all. And I hope this helps someone out there.

Stan

Just another data point for the discussion, and it is reassurring (not sure that's the best way to put it) that are so many kindred souls out there. Noticed the symptoms (unable to smile properly, weakness in facial muscles RH side) 10 days ago, off to the hospital emergency department (I was concerned about an imminent stroke - 56 years old). They quickly decided it was BP, but did a battery of tests anyway to rule out stroke. So I am fortunate in that regard at least.

Cannot close right eye, ony half a smile, cannot raise RH eyebrow, taste on RH side of tongue is shot, and most noticeably (for me), I have a heap of pain on RHS of face/mouth. Some even feels like severe dental pain. Pumped the steroids (prednisone) in for a week or so, now its just eyedrops and panadeine forte for the pain.

Have seen ER doctor, GP and neurologist and from what they have said (and it is backed up by comments here) it is just a waiting game with no certain outcome (but the numbers are good as far as recovery goes). I feel for those who have it bilaterally - it's bummer enough on one side.

Good luck to all those BP sufferers out there - please update us on your progress. I will endeavour to do the same.

It`s been almost 2 months since I have got this Bell`s Pallsy. It was exactly what it was as it is described here,except that I did not suufer any facial or the jaw pain.

I still cannot close my left eye,and the eye gets irritated quite easily,especially if I have been lokking at the CP or TV screens on a long period of time. It gets watery and peculiarly stinging. I use my usual drops and a lubricant at night before I go to bed and alsi cover the left eye durung my sleep so that the cornia should not suffere from dryness.

The mouth was quite noticeably askew when it started and I could only speak through the right openining of my mouth...and I could not spit properly. It is now coming back to its normal position ,albeit very slow .!

As it is pointed out.it is going to be a waiting game and I hope it won`t leave anything noticeable whwn it is gone completely. In the eye clinic,after examination,as the eyelid does not come down and there is no wink,I have been referred to a plastic surgent to perform some corrective op on the lid. I`ll let you know later how it goes or gone!

Have your eye doctor prescribe hydrophilic contact lens for your affected eye (they are made with and without a focus change). If that is possible for you, it will relieve your dry-eye problems even if you can only close your eye half way.

Have you tried acupuncture. I hear it's more effective than medicine.

It came on me on Sept 5, 2012 and now 17 days later still dealing with it. Went to ER that night and they gave me what I now know was a low dose of steroids (40 or less). GP said I should have been given 80. Dry eye is the worst for me and is what kept me out of work. I can't drive and I can't do much of anything without patching my right eye. I have been told 2 to six weeks. One person said five months. I can't handle that.

Hello, I'm 19 female and about a week ago I was hit with bells palsy . Its been pretty hard to deal with, the thing that that worries me the most is I'm getting married in less than 2 months but that's a different story... I just wanted to let people know. My uncle does acupuncture and he did two sessions on me and I saw a little improvement!! :) Which is better then none. I caught it in the second day he did the treatments on the second and third day and it was my first time doing acupuncture. I DID see a differences sadly he lives out of state so wasn't able to do more then 2. But still it did help a little and I hoping I can find someone else to take over. Because it did seem to work. So if you seem to not be getting any better and dont know what else to do i say just try it once and see how it works for you! :)

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