Home Facial numbness (family member)

[janinegirly]

A family member has slight facial numbness. Just mild sensation. However she also has had experience with a mild facial twitch..like an occassional twitch on her lip which goes away.

Now this could be nothing, but it could be more. Should we be worried? She is only in her 30''s. I know the answer is to see a dr. but I know that''ll go down the "lets do all kinds of testing" path.

 

[junebug17]

I understand what you mean about going through a barrage of tests, it is time-consuming and expensive. That said, facial numbness is not normal, especially when accompanied by tics. I don''t have any experience with this, but I googled facial numbness and it is a symptom of quite a few conditions. I really think it''s a good idea to see a doctor and find out what is causing this. As I said, your relative shouldn''t be experiencing this numbness, and it may be a symptom of a disorder. Best to know for sure.

 

[jewelz617]

Could be anything from mild nerve damage to a stroke. I''d think health would take priority over the inconvenience of testing.

 

[PumpkinPie]

If it were me, I would encourage her to see a doctor

 

[CasaBlanca]

Gosh, I usually hate to provide info in these threads...as I have no medical education. I could be providing a totally wrong suggestion/direction. Thankfully the doctor she sees studied more than I did!

Those of you insisting on a doctors visit are doing the right thing. I wish my thoughts and urge to participate would stop there. But there is one snippet of experience I can't seem to forget, that may be helpful here...perhaps the TESTING PATH is not as default as you think...there are several things that may cause this...including...

I had a friend who had the suffered the same scenario...her diagnosis was Bells Palsy

She says it started with numbness...tiny needles actually...you can read in that link (that was a childs health website, my friend was in her later forty's) what follows after numbness. It was about a year before the symptoms got better. Some people it is just a month or so.

A doctors visit is definitely warrantied. There is no GOOD reason for numbness anywhere in our body. Nerves are not accessories to our body, but essential equipment. Check the manual...bones, heart, blood, NERVES...check it is in there!

Please encourage her to zip in!

 

[janinegirly]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't mean to insinuate doctos were to be avoided or a waste of time. I just know that even when it's not serious, they tend to send you on a wild good chase with the wrong specialists in order to rack up visits--or at least in my recent experience. I can't remember the last time (in my experience) a doctor actually listened and diagnosed based on what the patient described as feeling. It's always endless referrals, paperwork, routine tests that come up inconculsive (ie was nothing to start with or they don't know).

But in this case I agree. It's too scary/serious to not go through the hassle of testing and hopefully rule things out (I'm just really hoping).

 

[Erin]

It does sound like Bells palsy. It happended to my friend when he was going through a stressful time (divorce) and it lasted maybe 2 months.

 

[ponder]

Definately sounds like bells palsy. Symptoms can be mild to severe. This is not something to ignore. Myn SIL had complete left side facial paralysis for almost a year and everything that encompasses. She was unable to completely close her eye, her mouth drooped and has difficulty with eating, speaking and drooling. The symptoms came on gradually starting with tingling, numbness and eye twitching. She ignored it until paralysis set in.

 

[VRBeauty]

Bell''s palsy can be permanent, although the symptoms lessen (or maybe people just learn to compensate for them) over time.

Janinegirly -- if your relative still has symptoms, I hope she is planning to have them checked out.

 

[CasaBlanca]

I should have wrote my entry just as Ponder did. That was the EXACT experience of my friend. All the same symptoms and the fact she also ignored it until paralysis.

I was too hesitant to scare you Janine, but after reading the following posts, I realized they did more good in telling you more details. So I wanted to ditto Ponder''s post and the others.

And I am going to add this...in case in fuels you to encourage your family member to get in now...I just saw my friend for the first time in nearly 3 years...her facial muscles STILL display a lingering side effect of the palsy. It is just a whisper of them, best described as not full range of muscle movement. When she smiles, that side is still reserved. And that sides eye is not blinking in unison.

This Bells Palsy is serious...and best to have a doctor rule it out for your relative as early as possible. Encourage her to get moving. Why not print this thread or google the term and show her that.

 

[Allison D.]

I was going to chime in with Bell''s palsy, too. I''ve known 3 people who''ve had it; luckily, all of them had the facial paralysis for only 2-3 mos.

 

[janinegirly]

Thanks everyone. I''d never heard of Bells Palsy--amazing how it can come on suddenly and affects more than I realized (judging by how many people here know someone who had it).

What are the causes--stress? And what would be the best doctor to start with? I suggested she start with a neurologist. At least it sounds like there is good chance for full recovery (if caught early?) and if this is in fact what it is.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 4/2/2010 1:51:06 PM
Author: janinegirly
Thanks everyone. I''d never heard of Bells Palsy--amazing how it can come on suddenly and affects more than I realized (judging by how many people here know someone who had it).

What are the causes--stress? And what would be the best doctor to start with? I suggested she start with a neurologist. At least it sounds like there is good chance for full recovery (if caught early?) and if this is in fact what it is.

My mom has/had it, and it''s been a couple years now since the onset and she still occasionally has symptoms when she''s tired. (You can see on the affected side of her face that her eyelid and cheek will droop a bit, and that eye waters like mad.) The doctor she saw diagnosed her with it without having a single referral, though she did send her to a neurologist afterward (I think - it''s been awhile). A good doctor, even a family practice one, will recognize it for what it is.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/2/2010 1:51:06 PM
Author: janinegirly
Thanks everyone. I''d never heard of Bells Palsy--amazing how it can come on suddenly and affects more than I realized (judging by how many people here know someone who had it).


What are the causes--stress? And what would be the best doctor to start with? I suggested she start with a neurologist. At least it sounds like there is good chance for full recovery (if caught early?) and if this is in fact what it is.

I believe (and I''m not a doc so take this with a grain) that BP can be caused by a viral infection such as Epstien Bar, Influenza or the cytomeglio virus.

 

[CasaBlanca]

Here is the link provided above again...causes explained:

Bells Palsy Link

Yes Hudson you are right. Even Lyme''s Disease.