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Suggest Remedy For Numbness And Tingling Sensation In Face
Question: 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed as having bell's palsy on the left side of my face.. There was numbness that then turned to tingling. The tingling is still there, but the inside of my mouth and tongue on the left side burn as in I can't eat spicy or sharp foods such as chips, etc. Is this normal from bells palsy?
Brief Answer:
Not always but does present at times.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Facial nerve (the nerve involved in Bell palsy) is a nerve which deals mainly with motor function, so in theory sensation shouldn't be involved. However it is often the case that patients report abnormal sensations such as numbness, tingling, burning etc. The cause is not always clear. At times when limited to numbness it is simply due to muscle weakness, but when there are these phenomena like tingling, burning it is thought to be related to accompanying damage to the trigeminal nerve as well, the nerve responsible for sensation.So that is most likely your XXXXXXX as well.
In terms of management that does not change much, doesn't need additional treatnent. Improvement should follow gradually over the next 3 months. Of course if there worsening or new symptoms a reevaluation is necessary.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Not always but does present at times.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Facial nerve (the nerve involved in Bell palsy) is a nerve which deals mainly with motor function, so in theory sensation shouldn't be involved. However it is often the case that patients report abnormal sensations such as numbness, tingling, burning etc. The cause is not always clear. At times when limited to numbness it is simply due to muscle weakness, but when there are these phenomena like tingling, burning it is thought to be related to accompanying damage to the trigeminal nerve as well, the nerve responsible for sensation.So that is most likely your XXXXXXX as well.
In terms of management that does not change much, doesn't need additional treatnent. Improvement should follow gradually over the next 3 months. Of course if there worsening or new symptoms a reevaluation is necessary.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Could "burning mouth syndrome" be related to a vitamin B12 deficiency? A blood test I had in September showed slight anemia.
Brief Answer:
Unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Anemia can have many causes, most common is iron deficiency. When anemia is due to vitamin B12 deficiency there are some changes in the blood count test which suggest it. Main one is that red blood cells are bigger than normal, so a value in the report called MCV (mean corpuscular volume) is increased. In most other anemia types mcv is low or normal, so if that is the case with you, anemia shouldn't be related to vit B12 deficiency.
Burning mouth syndrome is a syndrome which cause is not well known. There are several hypothesis like hormonal changes, autoimmunity, nutritional (vit b1, b6, b12, zinc, folate etc), allergic, infectious etc, but none has been proven. It is a term reserved to prescribe this phenomena only after all other causes have been excluded. For that reason I do not think it is your case as the symptoms do have a cause which is the Bell palsy. Furthermore in burning mouth syndrome the manifestations involve the whole mouth, both sides, not only the left as in your case.
I hope to have been of help
Unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Anemia can have many causes, most common is iron deficiency. When anemia is due to vitamin B12 deficiency there are some changes in the blood count test which suggest it. Main one is that red blood cells are bigger than normal, so a value in the report called MCV (mean corpuscular volume) is increased. In most other anemia types mcv is low or normal, so if that is the case with you, anemia shouldn't be related to vit B12 deficiency.
Burning mouth syndrome is a syndrome which cause is not well known. There are several hypothesis like hormonal changes, autoimmunity, nutritional (vit b1, b6, b12, zinc, folate etc), allergic, infectious etc, but none has been proven. It is a term reserved to prescribe this phenomena only after all other causes have been excluded. For that reason I do not think it is your case as the symptoms do have a cause which is the Bell palsy. Furthermore in burning mouth syndrome the manifestations involve the whole mouth, both sides, not only the left as in your case.
I hope to have been of help
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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