Are you diagnosed with hemifacial spasm? This condition usually begins with a mild twitching around the eye and gradually spreads on the mouth. Hemifacial spasm can affect the quality of your life; but the good news is, there are available treatments for this condition.
What is Hemifacial Spasm?
Hemifacial denotes half of the face, while spasm is the sudden, involuntary contraction of a group of muscles or a muscle. Our facial muscles are controlled by facial nerve. Each side of our face have different facial nerve. Facial nerve transmits signals from the brain to create facial muscle movement. This nerve starts inside the brain and connects to different facial structures.
For instance, the facial nerve allows you to twitch your nose, blink and pout your lips. If something blocks the nerve pathway along its course, it can affect the transmission of signals causing muscle twitching or spasm, even when you don’t intend to.
What Causes the Spasm?
The main cause of this condition isn’t fully understood but currently, experts believe that the cause of pressure on the facial nerve originates from an abnormality within the brain. Infection or strokes are rare causes. The most common cause is the pressing of the nerve by a blood vessel found at the base of the brain. However, in some cases, there is no apparent cause about the spasm so doctors often call it idiopathic (or unknown cause) hemifacial spasm.
What are the Symptoms of Hemifacial Spasm?
Initial symptoms starts as a twitching around the eye. Initially, the twitching spasms come and go but later on, it will be more frequent and may become worse. Oftentimes, it is the left side that gets affected. The spasms may involve other muscles such as the jaw and muscle on the affected side. Some people experience hearing a clicking sound while others have the corners of their mouth being pulled up due to spasm.
How Wrinkle reduction treatment Help Treat Hemifacial Spasms
While there’s no guaranteed cure, Wrinkle reduction treatment may be used in controlled doses to relax excessive muscle contraction. It may be administered through injection around the eye to help treat the condition. Wrinkle reduction treatment is injected into the affected muscles and blocks the nerve signal. This will help prevent spasms.
The effect of Wrinkle reduction treatment can last up to three months. Side effects are minimal and are limited to bruising, double vision and dropping of the eyelid which usually disappear after one to two weeks. About eight out of 10 people with hemifacial spasm experienced positive results with Wrinkle reduction Injections.
Alternative Treatments for Hemifacial Spasm
In some cases, medication can be helpful for mild or infrequent spasms. Some people found prescribed anti-epileptic drugs effective for their hemifacial spasm. The drug works by reducing nerve impulses.
Other medicines used for treating this condition are sedatives, however the side effect is that it can make you feel sleepy.
Learning relaxation techniques can help people with hemifacial spasm. It is important to educate yourself about this condition and maintain a positive outlook.