Facial paralysis

  I am a 47 year old female, 5-3, 108 lbs. Approximately 12 months ago I
  suffered what appeared to be a chronic sinus infection with
  severe headaches and facial pain. My physician treated this with six
  different antibiotics with no success. he eventually performed an MRI
  which revealed no sinus infection. He eventually diagnosed the problem
  as "facial neuralgia" and prescribed elavil. The problem eventually
  subsided.
  Recently in the past two weeks I have developed facial numbness. My mother
  has suffered from Bells Palsy in the past although it went away. My problem
  has developed to the point where the entire left side of my face has become
  numb and my left eye is dry. I also have a TMJ problem which I have had
  off and on for some time. My primary care physician has ordered another
  MRI and consultation with a Neurologist.
  I am wondering if the facial neuralgia, TMJ, and current symtoms (symptoms) could
  be interrelated. The current problem developed a few days before my
  menstrual cycle began.
  Thank you
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Thanks for the question. These problems can get trickey. Bell's palsey is a problem with the 7th cranial nerve after it has left the cranial vault. It is what is called a peripheral nerve problem and usually cause weakness of one side of the face with an inability to close the eye on that side. Facial numbness is not usually the primary problem. The 5th cranial nerve supplies sensory innervation to the face and would be of concern at this point. Certain infections can be licked including herpers. Several other viral type syndrome have been associated with these types of disorders. It sounds like a reasonable thing to do the scan and see a neurologist. They may do some blood work also looking at connective tissue disorders, and they may check an ACE level (angiotensin converting enzyme) to check for sarcoid. Do you have any Tb history or exposure? I'm not sure that this is related primarily to TMJ but these stories are not uncommon and often no cause is found. Depending on your symptoms they may also elect to do a spinal tap to make sure your spinal fluid looks normal. Good luck. As an aside women under the age of 35 that present with what is diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia have an increased risk of developing MS later in life. I'm sure when the neurologist has your history they will be able to clarify some of these things alittle more for you.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your doctor regarding diagnsotic and treatment options.