Okay! So let say , you wake up one morning, you look in the mirror, and... BAM ! you realize something's off, really really off. One side of your face feels and looks a bit droopy. You can’t smile properly, one of your eye refuses to close, and suddenly your reflection is giving you what we can call the bombastic sideeye.
Now, the big question is, what could have gone wrong ? What exactly? Well lets do some findings. This is what most likely went wrong, your face as you know it decided to visit the confusing world of what we know and call facial palsy. Think of the facial problem that sent that perfectly symmetrical face of Justin Beiber out of symmetry into an imperfect assymetry and then you shoud have a tip of the ice berg idea what it all about . It basically a situation where your face decides to take a break from doing its job. Yeah, a vacation, which of course it doesn't need by the way. Unneeded and improptu.
But here’s where it gets a bit kind of tricky, this so called break which the face as taken as a result of facial palsy can come from two different places, and they need very different treatments. The big question is, is the problem coming from your brain or is it your nerve just acting up? Let me explain, in the simplest way possible, how to tell the difference. And trust me, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
First, let’s talk about when the brain is the troublemaker. If your brain is behind the problem, it’s called an Upper Motor Neuron Lesion, or UMNL for short. Now, I know that sounds fancy, but don’t worry, it just means your brain isn’t sending the right signals to your face as it should be . But here’s the fun part, your brain doesn’t mess up completely. It only messes with the lower half of your face. So, if you’re having trouble smiling on one side but can still raise your eyebrows and wink, that’s your first big clue. Your forehead muscles are still working fine. Why? Because the muscles in your forehead are like those overachievers who always have a backup plan. Even if one side of your brain isn’t doing its job, the other side steps in to help out. That’s why you can still raise your eyebrows and look surprised, even if your smile isn’t quite symmetrical.
Image by Uschi Dugulin from Pixabay
Now let’s flip the script and talk about when it’s your nerve that’s causing all the fuss. If your facial nerve is the problem, you’ve got yourself a Lower Motor Neuron Lesion, or LMNL. This one’s a bit more dramatic. When your facial nerve decides to go on strike, it takes down the whole side of your face with it. No half measures or half way down here. It takes it all. Talk about being selfish to the core. Your entire side is out of commission. That means your forehead, your eye, and your mouth are all affected. It’s like your face just decided to take a full day off, no questions asked. You won’t be able to raise your eyebrows, smile, or even blink on that side. It’s as if your whole face on that side is giving you the silent treatment, and of course it is.
So, how do you tell if it’s your brain or your nerve that’s behind this? Simple, if only the lower half of your face is acting weird, but you can still raise your eyebrows and close your eyes, it’s your brain being mischievous, thats UMNL. But if your entire face on one side is saying, “Nope, not today,” and you can’t smile, blink, or even look surprised, your nerve is the culprit, LMNL.
But why does any of this matter?
Well, if the problem is with your brain, it could be something serious, like a stroke, which is definitely not something you want to ignore. In that case, you should rush to the hospital immediately. On the other hand, if it’s just your facial nerve, you’re probably dealing with something like Bell’s palsy. While annoying, Bell’s palsy isn’t as dangerous and usually goes away on its own after a while, with some help from medication and of course Physiotherapy.
Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay
So, next time your face starts acting up (hopefully, it won’t!), you can play face detective and do some you know self diagnosis (note: still visit the hospital, Why? because it the most reliable course of action). If you can’t smile but can still raise your eyebrows, it’s your brain playing tricks on you. But if the whole side of your face is on strike, including your forehead, then it’s probably just your nerve being lazy. Either way, it’s always best to see a doctor to figure out exactly what’s going on. But hey, at least now you know enough to sound like a pro and probably accurate diagnose yourself especially when you throw around terms like “upper motor neuron lesion” and “lower motor neuron lesion”! Heck ya!!!