Rs Neurology

Abnormal or involuntary facial movements can come in different forms, and you might feel them regularly or only occasionally. These facial movements can indicate that you might have a certain neurological disorder, and they should not be ignored.

These are a few different kinds of abnormal facial movements:

• Facial muscle twitching
• Facial drooping
• Facial muscle spasming
• Facial muscle weakness
• Facial muscle cramps
• Loss of facial expression

Neurological Conditions Causing Abnormal Facial Movements

Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder or also known as a neurological disorder. Essentially, it is a seizure disorder that can affect anyone at any age. It is characterized by abnormal activity in the brain, and as a result of this, affects any process that your brain coordinates. If you have epilepsy, your facial twitching could be part of a seizure, which has various other symptoms as well.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Oxygen supply to the brain is cut off, causing brain damage as cells in part of your brain die. When this happens, bodily functions controlled by damaged parts of your brain are lost. If you are having a stroke, you might realise one side of your face is drooping and you might have a lopsided smile. If this occurs along with other symptoms of a stroke, seek help immediately. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a minor stroke that lasts only for a few minutes.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder, where your muscles involuntarily co-contract against each other or spasm abnormally. This might affect your facial muscles, making them spasm randomly and you will find it difficult to control your expressions. If dystonia affects your eyelids, you might blink rapidly and uncontrollably, making it more difficult for you to see clearly.

Motor neurone diseases (MND) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that deteriorate the motor neurons, causing the nerves in your spine and brain to gradually lose function over time. These diseases can cause facial muscle weakness, cramps and twitching.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord, part of the central nervous system. If you have MS, you might have facial spasms and numbness and tingling in your facial muscles.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a long-term neurological degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system, that affects 1% of all people over 60 years old [1]. The most common MS symptoms affect the motor system, like tremors in the hands and fingers, however it can also cause the loss of facial expression.

Find out more about these neurological disorders today, and if you suspect you might have any of them because of any abnormal facial movements, speak to your doctor about it today.