47-year-old woman paralyzed on one side of her face after a night of sleeping in air conditioning

On June 24, information from Cam Khe District Medical Center (Phu Tho) said that recently, this unit received a case of facial paralysis due to cold.

Specifically, after waking up after a night of sleeping in an air-conditioned room, patient HTT (47 years old) was shocked to discover that his right eye was not closed, his mouth was crooked to the left, and he was spilling food and drink. He rushed to the hospital for examination and was diagnosed with right facial paralysis due to cold.

Here, the patient was treated and rehabilitated at the Department of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation. After 4 days of treatment, the patient's facial paralysis improved but was not fully recovered.

Doctors treat patients. Photo: BVCC

Dr. Pham Anh Hung - Head of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Cam Khe District Medical Center said that the main cause of peripheral facial paralysis is cold, because the peripheral 7th nerve is close to the skin surface and is very sensitive to temperature.

" If suddenly exposed to cold, the blood vessels will constrict, causing damage to the peripheral 7th nerve. It only takes a few seconds of exposure to cold to get sick ," Dr. Pham Anh Hung explained.

In fact, recently, many hospitals across the country have received many cases of facial nerve palsy (facial paralysis), including very young children, and these cases all have in common that symptoms appear after waking up, mostly due to incorrect air conditioning.

Accordingly, during hot weather, people often stay in air-conditioned and fan-conditioned environments, sometimes sleeping under air conditioning at too low a temperature, which is one of the causes of facial paralysis and mouth distortion.

Hemifacial paralysis is not life-threatening. If detected early and treated properly, the disease can be cured 70-100%. Mild cases can recover after a few weeks, severe cases can take several months.

However, if not treated properly, it can leave many sequelae affecting aesthetics and causing hemifacial spasms. The most dangerous is corneal ulceration due to the inability to close the eyes, causing dry eyes, corneal infection leading to inflammation and corneal ulcers.

How to prevent facial paralysis in summer

To prevent Bell's palsy in the summer, experts recommend that people avoid sudden cold winds. For families using air conditioning, be careful not to set the room temperature too low. It should be between 26-28 degrees Celsius and note that the room temperature should not differ too much from the outside temperature.

When turning on the air conditioner at night, you should set a timer or turn it off when the room temperature is cool. Avoid having the air conditioner blow directly into your face or head because this can easily cause nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, respiratory diseases, sore throat, and even nerve paralysis.

Do not enter an air-conditioned room immediately after being in the sun or doing strenuous exercise. Before leaving the room, stand at the open door for a few minutes to adjust to the hot air outside. The family should place the air conditioner as high as possible, and control the fan to reverse direction so that the wind does not blow directly in one place.

In addition, do not bathe too late at night. After bathing, do not go into an air-conditioned room to avoid heat shock, facial paralysis, or even stroke. In addition, when going out, wear a mask to keep your face warm; do not let children sit in front of a motorbike to avoid the cold wind, which can be harmful to children.

When there are suspicious symptoms of the disease, you should see a specialist soon for timely diagnosis and treatment to minimize the consequences of the disease.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-47-tuoi-nhap-vien-cap-cuu-sau-mot-dem-ngu-trong-phong-dieu-hoa-172240624160311832.htm