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Numbness And Swelling In Cheek, Painful. Had Bell's Palsy

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Posted on Tue, 18 Sep 2012
Question: my cheek feels numb , it is red, swollen --- has been like this for 2 days; and the inside of the cheek hurts. not the teeth. like if I put my tongue on the inside it hurts. on the outside of the cheek it feels numb though.
I had Bell's palsy 2-3 times in my life, but it never got so red, or I don't remember. It also was unilateral and I don't remember this kind of pain or this kind of wierd redness - this feeling that I have now that my cheeks are on fire. Yesterday it looked really weird ( but it doesn't anymore --- like areas of whiter color, areas of red, areas of pink all interspersed together. And wider area. Now it settled on a uniform red, hot and inflamed.
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Answered by Dr. Praveen Rodrigues (1 hour later)
Hi there. I note your symptoms with interest. I note too you had Bell's palsy earlier. Unilateral tendernesss/redness like the one described may be an early sign of Herpes Zoster infection or a localised abscess may or may not be linked to the dental area or gums & be tracking through to the cheek that is not uncommon. However, these things on the net are just speculation. My advice would be to check with the ER dept of any major hospital as i figure that will be the fastest to get to see a doctor , else i suggest meeting a dermatologist or an oral surgery specialist/dentist. The Hot & inflamed part again points to an abscess tracking. Please do start an antibiotic & anti-inflammatory asap & your local chemist may be able to help you. Metronidazole 500mg three times a day coupled with Ibuprofen 600mg (assuming your body weight is more than 60-70kgs) three times daily both after meals with plenty of oral fluids/hydration (not alcoholic;-) ) may just resolve all symptoms in 24-48 hrs.
Wishing you good health & a speedy recovery. Cheers & Good Luck!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Praveen Rodrigues

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Practicing since :1993

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Numbness And Swelling In Cheek, Painful. Had Bell's Palsy

Hi there. I note your symptoms with interest. I note too you had Bell's palsy earlier. Unilateral tendernesss/redness like the one described may be an early sign of Herpes Zoster infection or a localised abscess may or may not be linked to the dental area or gums & be tracking through to the cheek that is not uncommon. However, these things on the net are just speculation. My advice would be to check with the ER dept of any major hospital as i figure that will be the fastest to get to see a doctor , else i suggest meeting a dermatologist or an oral surgery specialist/dentist. The Hot & inflamed part again points to an abscess tracking. Please do start an antibiotic & anti-inflammatory asap & your local chemist may be able to help you. Metronidazole 500mg three times a day coupled with Ibuprofen 600mg (assuming your body weight is more than 60-70kgs) three times daily both after meals with plenty of oral fluids/hydration (not alcoholic;-) ) may just resolve all symptoms in 24-48 hrs.
Wishing you good health & a speedy recovery. Cheers & Good Luck!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD