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Cheek why it is known as a

CHEEK TWITCHING AND FACIAL MUSCLE SPAMS Waking up one dayand finding that half your face is attempting to form a revolution can beunnerving and frustrating, especially if you didn’t know why. Facial twitchingusually doesn’t affect the entire face, but instead only half of it. That iswhy it is known as a hemifacial spasm.

Hemi means “ one side” and facialobviously refers to the face. Having spasms onboth sides of the face or having both cheeks twitching is a rare condition.  HEMIFACIAL SPASM Muscles on your faceare controlled by the 7th cranial nerve which is the facial nerve. It begins at the brainstem and goes all the way to the skull below the ear. Here, it separates into 5 branches.

The facial nerve is a motor nerve, meaningit controls the muscles that move the eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, mouth and lips. A hemifacial spasmalso known as ‘ tic convulsif’ comes about when the facial nerve is irritated. It can also be caused by a tumor. Sometimes however, there is no clear cause. There are two formsof this disease; typical and atypical TYPICAL HEMIFACIAL SPASMThis is where thetwitching starts at the lower eyelid. Over time it spreads to the whole eyelidand down to the muscles around the lip and eventually in the cheekbone.

This isthe most common form of the condition. ATYPICAL HEMIFACIAL SPASMHere, the twitchingstarts with the muscles around the lips and then to those on the lower face andcheekbone and finally up to the eyelid. This is a rare form of the disease seenon only 2-3% of patients. OCCURRENCEBoth men and women are affected by thedisease. It is more common however in women over 40 and in some Asianpopulations. HEMIFACIAL SPASM SYMPTOMS1.      Involuntary twitching on one side of your faceSince most people have typical hemifacialspams, the first symptom is usually when muscle contractions start around youreyelid.

Although this is not always too disruptive, it can cause tearing of theeyes or closing of the same. Twitching is often more pronounced in situationsof anxiety or simply when you are tired. 2.

The twitching spreadsAs time passes, the twitching may begin to spread to otherparts of your face, although still on the same side. In some cases ofhemifacial spasms, the spasms can spread through every muscle on one side ofthe face. This includes the cheek, mouth, jaw, chin and neck.

Spasms may also occur when you are asleep, although you maynot notice them then. 3.     As the spasms spread they may affectother organsOther symptoms may occur over time causing you pain anddiscomfort. They include:-         Painbehind the ear-         Ringingin the ears-         Frequentsspasms of the entire face-         AlteredhearingWHAT CAUSES FACIAL TWITCHING? We wouldlike to think that medicine has all the answers, but sometimes it doesn’t. Insome cases, doctors are unable to discover the root cause of the problem. Whenthis happens, it is known as an idiopathic spasm. However, here are some of theknown causes of the condition: 1.

Damage to the facial nerveWhen a blood vessel pushes on the facial nerve close towhere it connects to your brain stem, the never sends out signals in what isknown as an ephaptictransmission. This signal causes the muscles to twitch causing spasms. 2.

InjuryA head or face injury such as blow can cause spasms. This isbecause when the injury occurs, it causes a compression of the facial nerve. 3.     TumorThis is a rare case. Untreated tumors can cause nerve damageas it grows bigger. Because of its location close to the brain, any tumor shouldbe treated immediately lest it becomes cancerous and spreads. 4.     Side effects of Bell’s palsyBell’s palsy is where a part of your face is temporaryparalyzed.

Sometimes after such an episode, a lingering side effect is spasmsor twitching. HEMIFACIAL SPASM TREATMENT HOME REMEDIESThe following home remedies can help reduce symptoms ofhemifacial spams1.      Rest. Allow your body enough time torejuvenate.

This also reduces stress and anxiety. 2.      Reduce caffeine consumption. Caffeine makes your twitching increase so go for fresh fruit juice or greentea. 3.      Do deep breathing exercises forrelaxation of your muscles. This is only a quick solution.

4.      Massage your face with diluted cloveoil. This should provide relief from excessive twitching5.      Eating nutrients e. g.

:-         VitaminD, found in milk, eggs and sun. –         Magnesiumis also useful in treating the condition. Eat magnesium rich foods such as; peas, bananas or almonds, green vegetables and seeds.-         Antioxidantsfound in blueberries-         Chamomilewhich you can take as tea or supplements.-         Hyoscyamusis an herb that has antispasmodic attributes that can also help reducetwitching MEDICATIONYour doctor is likely to prescribe a muscle relaxer toprevent twitching.

This is the most common treatment for the condition as ithelps relax your face muscles. The most commonly prescribed medications are: carbamazepine, baclofen and clonazepam. BOTOX INJECTIONDoctors uses botulinum toxin type A, also known as Botox totreat facial spasms, not just to remove wrinkles. The chemicals are injectedinto the face close tot where the muscles are twitching. It works by blockingelectrical impulses of the muscles on the face, preventing them from acting onmisfired stimuli.

This is a longer-term solution, working for 3-6 monthsbefore you need to get another one. SUGERYThis is only recommended by doctors when other treatmentsprove unsuccessful. The surgery is aimed at relieving any pressure on thenerves that may be the result of a blood vessel or a tumor. The surgery most used is a Microvascular Depression which isa procedure where the doctor creates an opening in the skull behind the ear andplaces a small piece of Teflon padding between the nerves and the blood vesselsblocking it.

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