It very rarely improves completely without treatment.See also Orange You Glad: Can Babies Eat Oranges and Should I Offer Themīabies can’t regulate their body temperature as well as older children and adults. It is not dangerous or fatal but may affect your quality of life. Hemifacial spasm is usually a long-term condition. Other complementary therapies such as homeopathy or acupuncture do not seem to help this condition. Educating yourself about your condition and staying positive can also help. Learning relaxation techniques may benefit some people. Is there anything I can do to help myself? Surgery is also used when other treatments have failed to work or if you are young and don't want long-term repeated injections. For this reason, surgery is usually reserved for cases where the spasms are severe and disabling. There can rarely be some serious side-effects that may occur as a result of surgery, such as hearing damage or permanent paralysis of the face. It is successful in 9 out of 10 people with hemifacial spasm. This often cures the condition but may be unsuitable for some patients with hemifacial spasm.
It involves moving the blood vessel that may be pressing on the facial nerve. There are several surgical procedures that can be done. The side-effects usually wear off after 1 or 2 weeks. These are commonly drooping of the eyelid and double vision. There can be side-effects of the injection. However, repeated injections are needed every 3 to 4 months as the effect wears off. At least 7-8 people out of 10 with hemifacial spasm are helped by botulinum injections. The effects of the injection last for two to three months and it starts to work within a few days. Botulinum toxin is better known as Botox®, and it is used more often in cosmetic surgery. It is injected into the facial muscles and blocks the signal from the nerve. However, when it is used in controlled doses, it is safely used to relax excessive muscle contraction. It is usually associated with causing food poisoning called botulism. They may also improve when they lie down.īotulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
As the other eye is not affected, they are still able to see.įor some people the spasms may become worse when they are tired and stressed. Others find the spasms may affect their vision and their ability to drive. Some people may have quite a mild condition that causes inconvenience and embarrassment. Some people also hear a clicking sound on the side that is affected when the spasm comes. The corner of the mouth can become pulled up by permanent spasm. The twitches may spread to involve other muscles on the same side of the face. The left side is more often affected than the right. Gradually the spasms become worse and the spasm may become permanent. At first the twitching spasms may come and go. What are the symptoms of hemifacial spasm? Symptoms usually start in middle age.īook a private appointment with a local physio today Book now Is it inherited?īecause the causes of hemifacial spasm are not inherited, it is unlikely that you will pass the condition on to your children. It affects men and women, although women tend to be affected slightly more often than men. In the UK there are thought to be about 4,000 people with hemifacial spasm. In these other conditions often both sides of the face can be affected, although not necessarily at the same time. For example, facial tics and twitches, and muscle spasms around the eyes (blepharospasm) are different conditions. More temporary twitches of the muscles of the face are NOT hemifacial spasm. This may cause muscles to twitch (or contract), or to go into spasm, when you don't want them to. If something presses on the nerve somewhere along its course, it can affect how the signals are carried to the face. For example, the facial nerve makes you blink, twitch your nose and pout your lips. The facial nerve carries signals from the brain to make your facial muscles contract or relax.
It starts deep inside your brain and makes its way past many structures to reach the face. There is a facial nerve for each side of the face. The muscles of the face are all controlled by the facial nerve. A spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles.
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