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The woman with Bell's palsy who got her smile back | The woman with Bell's palsy who got her smile back |
(35 minutes later) | |
A woman who got up one day to find she could no longer smile has been raising awareness about her medical condition. | A woman who got up one day to find she could no longer smile has been raising awareness about her medical condition. |
Anna Robinson, 27, thought she had suffered a stroke but in fact had Bell's palsy, which is a paralysis of the muscles on the side of the face. | Anna Robinson, 27, thought she had suffered a stroke but in fact had Bell's palsy, which is a paralysis of the muscles on the side of the face. |
"I couldn't raise my eyebrow, shut my eye. It was very scary," she said. | "I couldn't raise my eyebrow, shut my eye. It was very scary," she said. |
But instead of hiding, the clinical project manager from Nottingham decided to record her progress on Facebook as she tried to smile again. | But instead of hiding, the clinical project manager from Nottingham decided to record her progress on Facebook as she tried to smile again. |
She said it was only when she was leaving for work one morning, in August, she saw something was wrong. | She said it was only when she was leaving for work one morning, in August, she saw something was wrong. |
Ms Robinson said she "panicked" when she saw the side of her mouth was not moving. | Ms Robinson said she "panicked" when she saw the side of her mouth was not moving. |
'Completely overwhelmed' | 'Completely overwhelmed' |
"I noticed the left side of my face was completely paralysed," she said. | "I noticed the left side of my face was completely paralysed," she said. |
She was told she might not recover and that 1 in 14 people never get movement back. | She was told she might not recover and that 1 in 14 people never get movement back. |
But since then she has been sharing her progress on social media as she learned to smile again. | But since then she has been sharing her progress on social media as she learned to smile again. |
More on this story and other news in Nottinghamshire | More on this story and other news in Nottinghamshire |
"I avoided photos with anyone else but from day one I just thought some awareness should be raised about this," she said. | "I avoided photos with anyone else but from day one I just thought some awareness should be raised about this," she said. |
"The effect it has on you mentally and physically is unbelievable." | "The effect it has on you mentally and physically is unbelievable." |
She said she had been "completely overwhelmed" by the response and said she hoped it had helped people in a similar situation. | She said she had been "completely overwhelmed" by the response and said she hoped it had helped people in a similar situation. |
The 27-year-old said she still had pain and cannot quite close her eye fully but can, after six weeks, finally smile again. | |
Bell's palsy | Bell's palsy |
It is a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face, with the symptoms varying from person to person. | It is a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face, with the symptoms varying from person to person. |
The weakness on one side of the face can be described as either a partial palsy, a mild muscle weakness, or a complete palsy, which is no movement at all. | The weakness on one side of the face can be described as either a partial palsy, a mild muscle weakness, or a complete palsy, which is no movement at all. |
Bell's palsy can also affect the eyelid and mouth, making it difficult to close and open them. | Bell's palsy can also affect the eyelid and mouth, making it difficult to close and open them. |
Source: NHS | Source: NHS |
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