How would you feel if you woke up one day, and you found that you were unable to move certain parts of your face? That's exactly what happened to actress Angelu de Leon and news anchor Bernadette Sembrano when they were diagnosed with Bell's Palsy.
Angelu and Bernadette share their stories
For Bernadette Sembrano, who was diagnosed with Bell's palsy back in 2011, everything happened so fast.
In an interview, she shares:
"Linggo ng umaga...parang sabi ko malakas ata 'yung earphones ko kasi sumasakit 'yung tenga ko edi binalewala ko lang baka masyado lang malakas. And then during 'TV Patrol' that night sabi ko parang may mali sa mata ko sa kaliwa, twitch nang twitch. Pinikit ko lang during commercial para ipahinga 'yung mata."
She consulted her symptoms with a doctor on the TV show "Salamat Dok," and it was found that she indeed had the condition.
A post shared by Bernadette Sembrano-Aguinaldo (@bsaguinaldo) on
Angelu de Leon shared that she first experienced an attack of Bell's palsy back in 2009. And in 2016, she had another Bell's palsy attack, this time in Boracay.
She added that her doctors also wanted to make sure that it was indeed Bell's palsy, and that she didn't experience a stroke.
"My bad din kasi I don't take vitamins every day tapos di ba hectic nung sched namin sa Euro trip tapos beach. Yung change of weather with low immune system made me vulnerable again," she shares.
Angelu had to undergo physical therapy in order to help restore the muscle movement in her face.
A post shared by Angelu De Leon-Rivera (@angeludeleonrivera) on
What exactly is Bell's palsy?
Bell's palsy is a condition that affects a person's ability to move his/her facial muscles. It causes one side of the face to become paralyzed, and is mainly caused by a form of trauma to the seventh cranial nerve, also known as the "facial nerve."
It can happen to anyone, but it commonly happens to people who have diabetes, or people who have had a viral infection.
Bell's palsy can sometimes be scary, as the symptoms can make you feel that you might be having a stroke. However, the symptoms are usually temporary and can be easily treated.
Here are some important things to remember about this condition:
- Most people who have been diagnosed can recover fully, even without any treatment.
- Antiviral drugs and corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory drugs, can be used to help treat the condition.
- Physical therapy can help strengthen facial muscles in order to prevent it from reocurring.
- It might have the same symptoms as stroke, but Bell's palsy isn't life-threatening, and you shouldn't panic if you get diagnosed with the condition.
Photos screen capped from: Instagram.com
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