During a stroke, the face can droop on one or both sides. The eyelids and corners of the mouth may appear pulled down, and a person may be unable to smile or speak clearly.
A stroke happens when there is a disruption in blood flow to a part of the brain — either due to a clot or bleeding in the brain. The lack of oxygen-rich blood in a part of the brain causes cells in these areas to die, leading to impaired communication between nerve cells.
A stroke may cause facial drooping, paralysis, numbness, and vision difficulties. These symptoms can also affect other parts of the body, such as the arms or legs.
This article provides further information about stroke face symptoms and other potential causes of face drooping.
Stroke can cause facial drooping and muscle weakness that affects the eyes, lips, and mouth on one or both sides of the face.
Typically, stroke affects the lower part of one side of the face and not the forehead. However, if the stroke is in the brainstem, it may affect the forehead.
Stroke may cause:
- pulling down of the eyelids, cheeks, or corners of the mouth
- difficulty smiling voluntarily
- involuntary appearance of smiling
- slurred speech
Stroke can also cause other symptoms,
- numbness or weakness on one side of the body
- sudden confusion or difficulty understanding speech
- sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
- sudden difficulty walking or loss of balance and coordination
- a sudden, severe headache
Some symptoms are
- confusion, disorientation, or memory problems
- general weakness
- nausea or vomiting
- F = face drooping
- A = arm weakness
- S = speech difficulty
- T = time to call 911
If a person has sudden facial drooping or any other potential stroke symptoms, call 911 immediately.
The sooner a person gets medical attention, the sooner treatment can begin. This
While waiting for the emergency services to arrive, a person can administer first aid by:
- ensuring that the area around the person is safe
- looking at a clock to see when symptoms began
- talking to them and asking them to squeeze a hand if they cannot respond
- loosening tight clothing
- keeping them warm if they are cold
- making sure they do not eat or drink anything
If the person is conscious, lay them on their side with their head on a pillow. If they are unconscious, place them in the recovery position.
It is important to monitor their breathing. A person can do this by listening to their breath, observing the rise and fall of the chest, or placing the back of a hand close to their mouth to try to feel their breath.
If the person is unconscious and not breathing, administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A 911 emergency responder can instruct someone with no CPR training on how to do this over the phone.
For people without training in CPR, the
Yes, the facial symptoms of stroke often improve over time, although the recovery process may take months or even years.
Physical therapy and rehabilitation programs can help people regain strength in the affected muscles and relearn movement patterns.
Facial drooping and paralysis do not always happen during a stroke. So, their absence does not mean a person cannot be having one. If other stroke symptoms are present, they may need emergency care.
However, facial paralysis, or palsy, is a common stroke symptom, which is why it appears in the F.A.S.T acronym.
According to a
Stroke is not the only condition that causes facial drooping. Other potential causes include:
- Bell’s palsy: This condition causes sudden and usually temporary one-sided facial weakness. It is responsible for
70%of cases of facial paralysis and typically improves over several weeks. Doctors may also call it “acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause,” as they are not always sure why it happens. Sometimes, a viral infection triggers the symptoms.
- Injury: Roughly 10–23% of facial paralysis cases are due to fractures and wounds that damage the facial nerves.
- Infection: The chickenpox virus, herpes zoster, can live in the nerves for years after the initial infection. It can then reactivate and affect the facial nerves. This is called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can also cause facial palsy.
- Neurological conditions: Multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis may cause facial drooping.
- Tumors: Rarely, tumors on the face or in the brain compress or damage facial nerves, leading to paralysis.
Stroke’s facial symptoms include drooping, muscle weakness, and paralysis. A person’s eyelids, cheeks, or mouth may droop on one or both sides, and they may have an involuntary smile or be unable to smile intentionally. The drooping may also cause difficulty speaking.
Facial palsy does not occur in all cases of stroke, so it is important to know all of the potential symptoms. An easy way to remember them is via the F.A.S.T. acronym. If a person could be having a stroke, dial 911 immediately.
Other causes of facial drooping include Bell’s palsy, trauma, infections, neurological conditions, and tumors.
Wakati wa kiharusi, uso waweza kuanguka upande mmoja au pande zote mbili. Huenda ikaonekana kwamba macho na pembe za mdomo zimeinama, na huenda mtu asingeweza kutabasamu au kusema waziwazi. Kifafa hutokea wakati kuna usumbufu katika mtiririko wa damu kwa sehemu ya ubongo - ama kwa sababu ya kuganda au kutokwa na damu katika ubongo. Ukosefu wa damu yenye oksijeni katika sehemu fulani ya ubongo husababisha chembe katika sehemu hizo kufa, na kusababisha mawasiliano kati ya chembe za neva yawe dhaifu. Mshtuko wa akili waweza kusababisha uso kuanguka, kupooza, kutoona, na matatizo ya kuona. Dalili hizi zaweza pia kuathiri sehemu nyingine za mwili, kama vile mikono au miguu. Makala hii hutoa habari zaidi kuhusu dalili za kiharusi cha uso na visababishi vingine vinavyoweza kusababisha kuanguka kwa uso. Mshtuko wa akili unaweza kusababisha uso kuanguka na udhaifu wa misuli ambayo huathiri macho, midomo, na kinywa upande mmoja au pande zote mbili za uso. Kwa kawaida, kiharusi huathiri sehemu ya chini ya upande mmoja wa uso na si paji la uso. Hata hivyo, ikiwa kiharusi hicho kiko katika shina la ubongo, kinaweza kuathiri paji la uso. Mshtuko wa akili unaweza kusababisha: - kuvuta chini ya eyelids, mashavu, au pembe za mdomo - shida ya kutabasamu kwa hiari - kuonekana kwa kutaka kutabasamu - usemi usioeleweka - mshtuko wa akili unaweza kusababisha dalili nyingine, - kuzimia au udhaifu upande mmoja wa mwili - kuchanganyikiwa ghafla au ugumu wa kuelewa hotuba - shida ya kuona ghafla katika jicho moja au zote mbili - ugumu wa kutembea ghafla au kupoteza usawa na usawa - maumivu ya kichwa ya ghafla, kali au matatizo ya kumbukumbu - udhaifu wa jumla - kichefu au kutapuka - F = uso - kushuka - kushuka - S = shida ya kuzungumza - T = wakati wa kupiga simu ya 911 mara moja. Kadiri mtu anavyoanza kupata matibabu, ndivyo atakavyoanza matibabu mapema. Wakati wa kusubiri huduma za dharura kufika, mtu anaweza kutoa msaada wa kwanza kwa: kuhakikisha kwamba eneo karibu na mtu ni salama - kuangalia saa kuona wakati dalili zilianza - kuzungumza nao na kuwaomba kukandamiza mkono kama hawawezi kujibu - kuondoa nguo nyembamba - kuwaweka joto kama wao ni baridi - kuhakikisha wao si kula au kunywa chochote - kama mtu ni fahamu, kuweka yao upande na kichwa juu ya mto. Ikiwa hawajui chochote, weka katika nafasi ya kupona. Ni muhimu kuchunguza jinsi wanavyopumua. Unaweza kufanya hivyo kwa kusikiliza pumzi yako, kuangalia jinsi kifua chako kinavyoinuka na kushuka, au kwa kuweka mkono wako karibu na mdomo wako ili kujaribu kuhisi pumzi yako. Ikiwa mtu huyo hana fahamu na haapumui, mpe msaada wa moyo na mapafu (CPR). Msaidizi wa dharura wa 911 anaweza kumfundisha mtu ambaye hana mafunzo ya CPR jinsi ya kufanya hivyo kwa simu. Kwa watu wasio na mafunzo ya CPR, dalili za uso wa kiharusi mara nyingi hupungua kwa muda, ingawa mchakato wa kupona unaweza kuchukua miezi au hata miaka. Programu za tiba ya kimwili na kurekebisha tabia zaweza kuwasaidia watu kupata tena nguvu katika misuli iliyoathiriwa na kujifunza tena mifumo ya mwendo. Si mara zote kwamba uso huanguka na kupooza wakati wa kiharusi. Kwa hiyo, kutokuwepo kwao hakumaanishi kwamba mtu hawezi kuwa na moja. Ikiwa dalili nyingine za kiharusi zipo, huenda zikahitaji utunzaji wa dharura. "Ugonjwa wa kupooza uso (facial paralysis) ni dalili ya kawaida ya kiharusi, na kwa hiyo huitwa ""FASD.""" Kulingana na Stroke si hali pekee inayosababisha uso kuanguka. Sababu nyingine zinazoweza kusababisha ugonjwa huo ni: - Bell's palsy: Hali hii husababisha udhaifu wa uso wa upande mmoja wa uso kwa ghafula na kwa kawaida kwa muda mfupi. Ni moja ya sababu za 70% ya matatizo ya kupooza kwa uso na hupungua kwa wiki kadhaa. Madaktari wanaweza pia kuiita "paralyia kali ya uso ya pembeni ya kisababishi kisichojulikana", kwa kuwa hawajui daima ni kwa nini hutokea. Nyakati nyingine, maambukizo ya virusi husababisha dalili hizo. Katika asilimia 10 hadi 23 ya visa vya kupooza kwa uso, ugonjwa huo unatokana na kupasuka kwa misuli na majeraha ambayo huathiri neva za uso. - Maambukizo: Virusi vya ugonjwa wa chickenpox, herpes zoster, vinaweza kuishi katika neva kwa miaka mingi baada ya maambukizo ya kwanza. Kisha inaweza kuamsha tena na kuathiri neva za uso. Hii inaitwa ugonjwa wa Ramsay Hunt. Ugonjwa wa Lyme ni maambukizo ya bakteria ambayo yanaweza pia kusababisha kupooza kwa uso. - Hali za neva: Multiple sclerosis na myasthenia gravis zinaweza kusababisha uso kuanguka. - Tumors: Mara chache, tumors juu ya uso au katika ubongo compress au uharibifu neva ya uso, na kusababisha kupooza. Dalili za kiharusi za uso hutia ndani kushuka, udhaifu wa misuli, na kupooza. Vipande vya macho, mashavu, au mdomo wa mtu vinaweza kushuka upande mmoja au pande zote mbili, na huenda wakawa na tabasamu isiyo ya hiari au wasiweze tabasamu kimakusudi. Kuanguka kwa mwili kunaweza pia kusababisha ugumu wa kusema. Ugonjwa wa kupooza uso hauwezi kutokea katika visa vyote vya kiharusi, kwa hiyo ni muhimu kujua dalili zote zinazoweza kutokea. Njia rahisi ya kukumbuka ni kupitia FAST. kifupi. Ikiwa mtu ana ugonjwa wa kiharusi, piga simu ya 911 mara moja. Sababu nyingine za kuanguka kwa uso ni pamoja na kupooza kwa Bell, majeraha, maambukizo, hali za neva, na uvimbe.