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Date sent: Fri, 19 May 2000 10:33:49 EDT Send reply to: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network <[log in to unmask]> From: Jo Ann Coen <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: People Interested in Alternative Medicine To: [log in to unmask] > I went to a > cosmetic surgeon , who said he wouldn't touch a patient who had Bell's > Palsy. Strange, huh? I've been told Bell's Palsy occurs when one has > been emotionally traumatized. Is this true? I am not sure why the cosmetic surgeon rejected you. There are procedures which can improve the cosmetic result. The "classical" Bell's Palsy is the result of a viral infection which causes swelling of that portion of the facial nerve which travels through the middle ear (it is called the facial canal; or, in the old terminology, the Fallopian canal [yes, old man Fallopius named that structure as well as the female "tubes"]). Sometimes, if the Bell's Palsy is caught at the very beginning, a surgery can be done which removes bone over the facial canal and allows the nerve to swell without compression, but it has to be done within a few hours of onset. The "kicker" with Bell's Palsy is that you have to diagnose it properly. There are many neurological conditions (some quite serious) which can cause isolated paralysis of the facial nerve, and one has to make sure that one is not dealing with one of those. One of the best ways to make the differential (not absolute, but good) is to determine whether there is preservation of taste function (sweet, sour, salty) on the front portion of the tongue. If the taste sensation is lost on the same side as the facial paralysis, it is most likely a classical Bell's Palsy. Best, Bob ********************************************** Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C. 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 Berkeley, California 94704-2636 Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557 WWW: http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/ mailto:[log in to unmask] "Ex Tristitia Virtus" *********************************************