Her name is Miriam and she's my favorite aunt. It must be because she's been good to me since childhood and treats me like her own child. I have stayed in her house in Laguna during my last year in college and I think that made us closer to each other. Two years ago, she suffered from a mild stroke but has coped up with the sickness with ease. Recently, I learned that she is afflicted with Bell's palsy.
Yes, it's the same disease that caught George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan (both Holywood actors), Chris Walker (world superbike racer) Frenchie Dy and Gerald Pizzaras (from local show business) off-guard at one point in their lives. Though Bell's palsy is treatable, I can't help but be worried sick about my aunt's health.
The US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines Bell's palsy as:
My aunt has to undergo special therapy thrice a week. Her family has already hired a physical therapist to do the job. I hope she recovers fast. She's now in her sixties and I want her to lead a healthy life as much as possible. I know her family wishes the same for her.
Bell's palsy was named after Scottish anatomist Charles Bell who first described the disease. For more information about Bell's palsy, click here.
Yes, it's the same disease that caught George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan (both Holywood actors), Chris Walker (world superbike racer) Frenchie Dy and Gerald Pizzaras (from local show business) off-guard at one point in their lives. Though Bell's palsy is treatable, I can't help but be worried sick about my aunt's health.
The US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines Bell's palsy as:
"a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to one of the two facial nerves. It is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Generally, Bell's palsy affects only one of the paired facial nerves and one side of the face, however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides. Symptoms of Bell's palsy usually begin suddenly and reach their peak within 48 hours. Symptoms range in severity from mild weakness to total paralysis and may include twitching, weakness, or paralysis, drooping eyelid or corner of the mouth, drooling, dry eye or mouth, impairment of taste, and excessive tearing in the eye. Bell’s palsy often causes significant facial distortion. Most scientists believe that a viral infection such as viral meningitis or the common cold sore virus -- herpes simplex-- causes the disorder when the facial nerve swells and becomes inflamed in reaction to the infection."
My aunt has to undergo special therapy thrice a week. Her family has already hired a physical therapist to do the job. I hope she recovers fast. She's now in her sixties and I want her to lead a healthy life as much as possible. I know her family wishes the same for her.
Bell's palsy was named after Scottish anatomist Charles Bell who first described the disease. For more information about Bell's palsy, click here.
