One eye doesnt close completely Facial paralysis leaves sequelae if early golden time is missed

Hello, this is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. # One eye doesn't close completely? Facial paralysis leaves sequelae if early golden time is missed. Did you happen to look in the mirror suddenly one day to find that one eye doesn't close completely and your mouth corner is crooked, causing discomfort when drinking water or brushing your teeth? The symptom 'One eye doesn't close completely' is a representative early sign of facial paralysis experienced by more people than you might think. When such symptoms appear, many people panic and worry greatly. Not only is it uncomfortable because facial muscles don't move as desired, but you may also suffer psychological distress due to others' gazes. 💡 **[Key Answer]** 3 most common causes of the symptom **'One eye doesn't close completely'**: ① Viral infection / ② Extreme stress / ③ Facial nerve inflammation due to lowered immunity. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic helps improve paralysis symptoms by calming the overheated nervous system and increasing the regenerative power of damaged facial nerves through **autonomic stabilization** treatment. ## Why do my eyes suddenly not close and my mouth turn sideways? The sudden difficulty in moving facial muscles on one side is due to problems with the facial nerve. In our faces, there is the 7th cranial nerve, known as the facial nerve, which is responsible for various movements such as making expressions, blinking, and chewing food. When this facial nerve becomes inflamed or damaged, paralysis symptoms appear. The most common cause is idiopathic facial nerve paralysis called 'Bell's palsy'. While the specific cause of Bell's palsy is not clearly identified, **viral infection** such as reactivation of the herpes virus or lowered immunity due to **extreme stress** are pointed out as main causes. In particular, stress weakens our body's immune system, allowing latent viruses to reactivate, and decreases blood flow to the facial nerve, causing nerve damage. Depending on the degree and location of nerve damage, symptoms appear variously: eyes may not close completely, reducing tears and causing dryness, or mouth corners may droop, causing saliva or food to leak. It is important to understand that this is not simply a problem of facial muscles, but inflammation and damage of the facial nerve itself. ## Can facial paralysis leave lifelong sequelae if the golden time is missed? Facial paralysis is important enough that the initial 48-72 hours of onset are called the 'golden time' of treatment. If appropriate treatment is started during this period, more than 85% of patients can recover completely. However, if treatment is delayed, the possibility of sequelae such as facial asymmetry, facial spasm, and synkinesis (e.g., mouth corners moving together when closing eyes) increases. These sequelae lead not only to physical discomfort but also to psychological distress, causing depression or anxiety. Therefore, as soon as symptoms appear, it is very important to visit a specialized medical institution for accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. The Incheon branch of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic closely grasps the onset timing and degree of nerve damage to establish personalized treatment plans. ## How does Korean medicine treatment help with facial paralysis? Korean medicine treatment for facial paralysis focuses on helping the recovery of damaged facial nerves and minimizing sequelae. Various Korean medicine treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, pharmacopuncture, electrical acupuncture, and Chuna therapy can be applied in combination to create synergy. In particular, acupuncture plays a core role in restoring the function of paralyzed facial muscles and helping nerve regeneration, and electrical acupuncture is effective in activating nerves and muscles with micro-electrical stimulation. Herbal medicine plays a role in suppressing nerve inflammation and improving blood circulation to promote the regeneration of damaged nerves. The effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment has also been confirmed through recent research results. A research team in Korea published in the MDPI journal in 2023 analyzed the **effect of early acupuncture treatment on recurrence rates** in Bell's palsy patients using Korean health insurance data. In this study, patients who received **early acupuncture treatment (within 7 days of onset)** showed a **statistically significant lower possibility of recurrence** compared to those who did not. The researchers concluded that these results suggest that early acupuncture treatment can have a positive effect on preventing Bell's palsy recurrence. These data show that visiting an Incheon facial paralysis Korean medicine clinic in the early stages of facial paralysis to actively start Korean medicine treatment is important not only for simple recovery but also for prognosis beyond imagination. In addition, a study by the research team of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital published in the Journal of Acupuncture Research in 2015 confirmed the **effect of acupuncture treatment on facial paralysis sequelae**. As a result of performing acupuncture treatment 3 times a week for 8 weeks, total 24 sessions, on 39 patients who had passed 6 months or more since facial paralysis onset, patients' **Facial Disability Index (FDI) scores improved significantly** (p\<0.05). In particular, positive changes were observed in facial symmetry, movement asymmetry, and synkinesis. The researchers concluded that acupuncture treatment has a beneficial effect in alleviating physical and social difficulties caused by Bell's palsy sequelae. This supports that Korean medicine treatment plays an important role in sequelae management and recovery promotion pursued by Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. ## Why autonomic balance is important for facial paralysis recovery Facial paralysis is not simply a problem of facial muscles alone, but stems from damage and inflammation of the facial nerve. Such nerve damage is often closely related to imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, our body's control system. **Autonomic nerves** control involuntary functions of our bodies such as heartbeat, digestion, and immune function, and especially when sympathetic nerves overactivate in stress situations, blood circulation can be hindered and immunity weakened. This can worsen facial nerve inflammation or slow recovery. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic emphasizes **autonomic stabilization** as an important axis of facial paralysis treatment. When the balance of autonomic nerves collapses, our brain cannot rest and enters an overheated state. Just as an overheated engine cannot function properly, if the brain and nervous system are not stabilized, the recovery of damaged facial nerves will inevitably be slower. Lowering the heat of the nervous system and creating an environment where the brain can rest — in Korean medicine, this is called Suseunghwagang — helps boost immunity and strengthen the regenerative power of the facial nerve itself, allowing paralysis symptoms to recover faster and more fundamentally. This is expected to go beyond merely alleviating symptoms to foster the body's self-healing power and prevent recurrence. The Incheon branch of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic provides delicate autonomic regulation treatment tailored to individual constitution and symptom stage based on these principles. ### Could I also be in the early stages of facial paralysis? Self-checklist If 3 or more of the following items apply to you, it may be the early stages of facial paralysis. We recommend consulting with Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch. * One eye does not close completely and the eyelid droops. * The mouth corner turns to one side and looks crooked. * Water or beverages leak toward the paralyzed side when drinking. * Water flows toward the paralyzed side when brushing teeth. * Even when trying to make wrinkles on the forehead, only one side doesn't move. * Only one side of the face feels unnatural when frowning or smiling. * Pain is felt behind the ear or sound is heard abnormally loudly from the ear. * Sense of tasting food has become dull. **Criteria:** * **If 3 or more apply:** Early facial paralysis suspected. Autonomic imbalance possibility is high, so review of complex Korean medicine treatment through professional medical examination is recommended. * **If 5 or more apply:** A stage requiring immediate visit. It is important to visit Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch without delay to start accurate diagnosis and treatment. --- **Q. How long does facial paralysis take?** A. The recovery period of facial paralysis can vary greatly depending on individual symptom severity, degree of nerve damage, and treatment timing. Usually, mild paralysis improves within 2 to 4 weeks, but moderate or more cases require treatment for 1 to 3 months or more, and sequelae management takes even longer. **Q. Can facial paralysis be treated with Korean medicine?** A. Yes, facial paralysis is a condition that can expect sufficiently good effects through Korean medicine treatment. Complex Korean medicine treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine help calm inflammation of damaged facial nerves, promote regeneration, and restore the function of paralyzed muscles. **Q. Can facial paralysis heal naturally?** A. In some cases of mild Bell's palsy, it heals naturally, but if you wait for self-recovery and miss the treatment golden time, the risk of sequelae remaining is very high. Since early diagnosis and active treatment play a decisive role in complete recovery and sequelae prevention, visiting a medical institution immediately when symptoms occur is important. **Q. Can facial paralysis be treated together with headache and dizziness?** A. Yes, many facial paralysis patients frequently complain of headache or dizziness together. Since autonomic nervous system imbalance is often the cause, companion symptoms can be comprehensively improved through autonomic stabilization treatment at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. --- Facial paralysis is not a problem solved by enduring. You no longer need to ignore the body's signals sent for a long time. Approached in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. The Incheon branch of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together. Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check symptoms similar to yours first through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website! This article is health information organized together by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions actually received often in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Department of Neurology & Autonomic System, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch, Korean Medicine Doctor Yang Yuchan (Facial Paralysis Column)