If you have pain and muscular spasms on one side of your face, you may be suffering from hemifacial spasm. This condition can make concentrating on your normal activities difficult or impossible. Hemifacial spasm treatment from a top-rated NJ neurosurgeon can help you manage your symptoms. Taking time to understand the different treatments available to you and the expected results of those treatments can help you make an informed decision when it comes to your care for hemifacial spasm.
Symptoms of hemifacial spasm include:
- Muscular spasm on one side of your face or jaw
- Ache in your cheek or jaw
- Frequent “tics” or spasms around your eye on one side of your face
If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition and to start on the right treatment for you.
What Causes Hemifacial Spasm?
There may be many different causes of your hemifacial spasm. The most common cause of facial symptoms is irritation of your facial nerve. Your facial nerve is the 7th cranial nerve that innervates the muscles of your face and jaw. You have two facial nerves — one on each side of your face. When one becomes irritated, hemifacial spasm may occur.
What can irritate one of your facial nerves? The most likely cause of facial nerve irritation is compression of the nerve by its neighboring artery or vein. When this artery presses against the facial nerve, muscular spasm can result, causing your symptoms of hemifacial spasm.
Other problems such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis or a tumor may also irritate your facial nerve. These conditions are rare, but your doctor will perform tests to rule out these problems as a cause of your hemifacial spasm.
When you are diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, your doctor can offer you various strategies to manage your condition. By understanding each hemifacial spasm treatment available to you, you can be sure to have the information needed to find the best treatment for you.
Medication for Hemifacial Spasm
When you are first diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, your doctor may prescribe medicine or Botox injections to help your condition. Antispasmodic medicine may be prescribed. These drugs may help decrease your symptoms, but they may also carry certain side effects. These may include:
- Constipation
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Nausea
Whenever you take medication for your hemifacial spasm treatment, be sure to talk with your doctor in order to understand how to take the medicine properly and understand the possible side effects.
Medicines, as well as Botox injections, for hemifacial spasm tend to lose their effectiveness over time. Your body may develop a tolerance and, as a result, you may need to increase the dosage or frequency regularly to get the full benefit. Over time, the medication may become ineffective and you may need to explore more definitive hemifacial spasm treatments.
Surgery for Hemifacial Spasm
Neurosurgical treatments for hemifacial spasm should always be considered if you have the condition. The definitive surgery for hemifacial spasm treatment is a procedure called microvascular decompression. During this operation, your doctor will make a small incision behind your ear. Then, a small portion of your skull will be removed. Your facial nerve will be visualized and a Teflon pad will be placed between your facial nerve and the artery pressing against it. This helps to decrease pressure from the nerve to relieve your hemifacial spasms.
After microvascular decompression surgery, you will be required to spend a couple days in the hospital to recuperate. There, you will slowly return to normal activity under the careful watch of your doctor and nurses. Upon returning home, most patients can get back to their normal activity level within a few weeks of surgery.
The benefits of microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm treatment include:
- Rapid relief of facial symptoms
- Long-term relief of symptoms
- Low recurrence rate
Patients who choose microvascular decompression for their hemifacial spasm treatment do so because it is proven to be one of the most effective treatments available for the condition. Most patients enjoy rapid relief of symptoms with very little chance of spasm returning in the future.
With any surgical procedure, certain risks may be present. There may be risk of infection or increased symptoms with any of these procedures. Facial nerve damage may cause weakness in your facial muscles. These risks are rare. Working with a top-rated NJ neurosurgeon can help you minimize these risks. Your doctor should tell you the risks and benefits of microvascular decompression surgery so you can make an informed decision about your surgery.
Many patients who undergo surgery for their hemifacial spasm typically enjoy rapid relief of symptoms with no lasting side effects.
If you are having a facial tic or hemifacial spasms, you should find an NJ neurosurgeon who treats facial procedures. He or she can explain to you the risks and benefits of each procedure and offer you the best hemifacial spasm treatment. By learning all you can about each treatment and the expected outcome, you can make an informed decision for your care.
