What Is Facial Paralysis?
Facial paralysis occurs when the facial nerve is unable to properly control the muscles of the face, often as a result of injury or long-term conditions. Whatever the cause, it can alter your facial symmetry and make everyday actions suddenly difficult, from smiling and eating to simply blinking your eyes. Because facial paralysis does not affect everyone in the same way, treatment at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is based on what each patient is experiencing and what might be causing their condition. Care may focus on helping an eye close more completely, lifting a lowered brow, supporting the cheek or corner of the mouth, reducing unwanted muscle movements, improving symmetry, or restoring facial movement when possible. While it's not always possible to restore full movement after facial paralysis, with the right approach, you can significantly improve your daily routine and achieve a more balanced appearance. If you're suffering from facial nerve paralysis, schedule a consultation with our facial plastic surgery specialists in Neptune and Holmdel, NJ to explore your options for treatment.
How Do You Treat Facial Paralysis?
Before creating your treatment plan, we'll closely examine your face and learn more about your condition, including where you've lost movement, how long you've been dealing with it, and what may have caused it. From there, we can determine which problems to focus on and whether they require an office-based treatment, surgery, or a combination of approaches.
We offer a variety of treatments for facial paralysis at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat, tailoring each care plan based on the cause and potential for recovery. If facial weakness prevents your eye from closing completely, a small weight can be implanted in the upper eyelid to help it close more easily. Other options include eyelid surgery or a brow lift to help open the eyes, a facial sling to support weakened muscles around the cheeks or mouth, or carefully placed BOTOX® injections to relax the muscles under the skin. For more serious cases, we perform facial nerve reconstruction, which involves repairing or reconnecting the facial nerve or using another nerve to restore movement to the affected muscles. During your consultation, we'll explain our recommendations and what you can expect throughout your treatment and afterward.
What Are the Benefits of Treatment for Facial Paralysis?
Facial paralysis can affect many of the movements and functions you rely on throughout the day. Even small, targeted improvements can make a noticeable difference in how your face moves and functions, providing benefits that might include:
- Helping your eye close more comfortably and completely
- Improving facial symmetry at rest and during expression
- Making smiling and other facial movements easier
- Providing better support to weakened areas of your face
- Reducing unwanted facial spasms and muscle movements
- Making eating and drinking feel more natural and comfortable
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Frequently Asked Questions about Facial Paralysis
What are the most common causes of facial paralysis?
There are many medical conditions that can cause paralysis in one or both sides of the face. Facial weakness can also develop after an injury, infection, tumor, surgery, or direct damage to the facial nerve. The cause matters because some conditions are temporary and may improve considerably with time, while others are more likely to require treatment to restore lost function.
What's the best treatment for facial paralysis?
There is no single treatment that works best for everyone. If your biggest problem is closing your eye, treatment may focus on helping the eyelids work more effectively. A lowered brow or weakened cheek may require additional support, while BOTOX® can help with unwanted spasms or uneven muscle activity. More significant facial nerve damage may require facial slings, nerve reconstruction, or another surgical approach.
When is surgery needed for facial paralysis?
Surgery may be recommended if facial movement is unlikely to return adequately on its own or if ongoing weakness is causing problems that need more direct correction. For example, surgery can help an eye that cannot fully close, lift a brow that has dropped, support weakened areas of the face, or restore movement following significant nerve damage. The type of surgery depends on which functions have been affected and how much recovery is possible.
Can facial paralysis be cured?
Many people with temporary facial paralysis regain substantial or complete movement. If the facial nerve has been permanently damaged, returning every facial movement to exactly the way it was before may not be possible. Even then, treatment can make important improvements in facial movement, symmetry, eye closure, and other everyday functions.
Does insurance cover treatment for facial paralysis?
Insurance may cover treatment for facial paralysis when it is medically necessary to restore or protect functions affected by nerve weakness. Your coverage will depend on your insurance plan and the specific treatment you need. Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat works to verify insurance benefits and provide an estimate of expected costs in advance so you have a clearer understanding of your financial responsibility.
Explore Treatments for Facial Nerve Changes
Facial paralysis can affect movements you once made without a second thought, but you may have more options than you realize. Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat offers treatments ranging from BOTOX® and procedures to improve eyelid closure to facial slings and facial nerve reconstruction. Visit our team in Neptune and Holmdel, NJ to find out what can be done to improve facial movement, function, and symmetry.