Bells Palsy

bells palsy

unilateral inflammation of 7th cranial nerve resulting in weakness or paralysis of the facial muscle on the effected side

wrinkle forehead, whistle, blow out cheeks

What are some exercises bells palsy patients can do?

-take with food -retention of fluid -spikes in blood sugar -decrease in wound healing/susceptible to infections

What are some nursing considerations when taking steroids?

tearing, pain in ear, taste decreased, speech decreased, unable to eat on unaffected side

What are some symptoms of bells palsy?

wear an eye patch, put eye drops in in the morning, ointment at night, close lid manually, wrap around sunglasses or goggles, avoid cold drafts

What can patients do to help this?

facial exercises (can take analgesics for soreness)

What is important for a patient with bells palsy to do?

corticosteroids

What medications can we give to bells palsy patients?

stroke

What might bells palsy patients believe they are experiencing at first?

headache, irritability, weight gain, HTN

When taking corticosteroids, what side effects might a patient experience since it causes retention of fluid?

eye might not close properly and blinking reflex may be diminshed

Why do patients need to protect their eye from injury?

Prednisone

decreases inflammation and edema, reduces vascular compression to restore blood supply to nerves