Hemifacial Spasm
Hemifacial
spasm is a movement disorder, which causes the muscles on one side of the face
to contract.
In its mildest form, Hemifacial spasm may cause no more than a
slight inconvenience, although it may be disfiguring and socially embarrassing.
In more severe cases, it may interfere with vision.
However, since the other eye is usually unaffected, it rarely causes loss
of sight. Hemifacial spasm affects both men and women and usually develops in
middle age. It is thought to affect
more than 4000 people in
U.K.
Hemifacial
spasm may develop gradually. Initially,
the muscles surrounding the eye may be affected by muscle spasm.
The spasm may the spread to other muscles on the same side of the face,
particularly the muscles of the jaw and mouth.
Some patients experience a clicking sound in the ear on the affected side
each there is a muscle spasm. Hemifacial
spasm tends to affect the left side of the face more often than the right. It is
usually less variable than Dystonia, although some sufferers do find that the
condition worsens when they are under stress and improves when they lie down.
The
causes of Hemifacial spasm are not yet fully understood but current medical
opinion suggests that the condition may be mechanical and caused by irritation
of the facial nerve in the brain. If
you think you are suffering from Hemifacial spasm, you should visit your doctor.
You will probably be referred to a neurologist for further investigation
and treatment.
Surgery
can be curative, although it is not suitable for most patients
(currently not available in South Africa).
In addition, a range of other treatment options are available for
sufferers, which can help to keep your symptoms under control.
A number of specialised surgical procedures are available for the
treatment of Hemifacial spasm. These
are often effective but may be associated with potentially serious side effects.
In some cases they are reserved for patients with severe and disabling
Hemifacial spasm or for those who do not respond to treatment with botulinum
toxin.
The
other main treatment options that you are likely to be offered are drug
treatments, injections of botulinum toxin or surgery.
Some patients may benefit from treatment with drugs such as carbamazepine
and clonazepan. However, to be
effective, drugs need to be taken on a long-term basis and may cause
unacceptable side effects. In recent years the introduction of botulinum toxin
injections has improved the outlook for some hemifacial spasm patients.
Tiny doses of this substance are injected into the facial muscles.
The treatment works by weakening the muscles responsible for the
contractions. The effect of the
injections usually lasts for two to three months and so a programme of repeat
treatment will be necessary. Side
effects, which are not common and always temporary, include droopy eyelids,
double vision and some weakness of the muscles below the eye, but these usually
disappear within a week or two. Approximately
three quarters of patients with Hemifacial spasm benefit from botulinum toxin
injections.
Self-help
measures such as relaxation techniques. Homeopathy,
acupuncture and dietary management appear to offer little benefit for Hemifacial
spasm sufferers. A positive attitude
is important . Learning about
hemifacial spasm and talking to other sufferers may help you to come to terms
with your condition and enable you to find ways of coping with your symptoms.
Although Hemifacial spasm is not classified as a Dystonia, the two
conditions have much in common. Support from family and friends is also
important. They may also benefit
from learning more about Hemifacial spasm so that they can better understand
your problems.
Taken
from The Dystonia Society (
U.K.
) leaflet.
|
