Bell's Palsy

Home Treatment

If your eyes, mouth, or tongue are affected by Bell's palsy, you can take steps to prevent future complications.

As the nerve in your face begins to work again, doing simple exercises—such as tightening and relaxing your facial muscles—may make those muscles stronger and help you recover more quickly. Massaging your forehead, cheeks, and lips with oil or cream may also help.

Eye care

Dry eyes can lead to serious problems with vision. Blinking keeps the eye moist and protects it from dust and other foreign matter. When you can't blink, your eye may become dry, and sores may develop on the clear covering of the eye (cornea). Sores on the cornea that are not treated can cause blindness. If you are unable to close your eye fully or blink because of Bell's palsy, try the following to help protect your eye:

• Use your finger to close and open your eyelid. Doing this often will help keep your eye moist.
• Use "artificial tears," which are eyedrops that contain methylcellulose, to keep your eye moist during the day. Talk to your doctor about how often to use the eyedrops.
• Apply special ointment or wear an eye patch at night to protect your eye and keep it moist. You may need to apply ointment and then tape your eyelid shut at night.
• Wear glasses or goggles to keep dust and other foreign matter out of the eye.

Call your doctor if you have Bell's palsy and develop any eye symptoms such as redness, itching, pain, or new vision problems.

Mouth care

When you have no feeling and little saliva on one side of your tongue, food particles may get stuck in that part of your mouth, leading to gum disease or tooth decay. Brushing and flossing your teeth often and carefully can help prevent these problems.

You can prevent swallowing problems by eating slowly and thoroughly chewing your food. Eating soft, smooth foods, such as yogurt, may also help.

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Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: August 8, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology
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