Mumbai: Coronavirus has been linked to severe neurological complications like brain fog, encephalitis or meningitis. But now, it is additionally causing temporary facial paralysis, referred to as Bell’s palsy in many patients.
Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness of muscles on one half of the face due to inflammation caused by the infection. Doctors said there has been a surge in the number of people suffering from Bell’s palsy. During the first wave, they used to treat one or two patients in four to five months, but now they are getting at least four patients a month.
Dr Vinith Karanth, consulting physiotherapist at Zen Multispeciality Hospital said the facial nerve controls the action of facial muscles. In Bell’s palsy, it stops sending signals to facial muscles, which cause paralysis/ weakness of the muscles for a short time, and either of the edges can get affected. This can be due to impaired immunity, which is commonly seen in patients after coronavirus infection.
He said, “Since last year, there has been a drastic rise in the number of Bell’s palsy cases coming to the physiotherapy department, particularly patients with a history of Covid-19 infection.” He said even asymptomatic patients who have recovered from Covid can suffer from Bell’s palsy.
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