Left Eye and Mouth Not Functioning

by John
(Musina Limpopo, South Africa)

Question: I am 26yrs old suffering from the left side of my face not functioning. Please help me - I dont know what to do.

Answer: Have you seen a physician? If it's only your face that is affected, it may be another condition such as Bell's Palsy or Ramsey Hunt Syndrome that effect the facial muscles. Stroke can also affect these same muscles. Either way, if you haven't seen a physician, please see one right away to determine what is wrong. A stroke may start out with certain symptoms and then become worse and even fatal without treatment.

For retraining facial muscles, you could use the same exercises that are used after Bell's Palsy. You can find some of these facial exercises at www.bellspalsy.ws/exercise.htm. You can also consult a physical, occupational or speech therapist who specializes in facial neuromuscular retraining to help you with exercises or use of biofeedback/electrical stimulation if appropriate. If you do seek out a therapist, make sure he or she has experience in facial retraining as this is a specialized area.