The Relationship Between Lyme Disease And Facial Paralysis

Lyme Disease is a little known disease that has just recently been talked about due to the fact that public figures that have it are speaking out. Recently, Richard Gere, Ben Stiller, Ashley Olsen, Alec Baldwin, George W. Bush, and Amy Tan all shared that they have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. It can be a devastating condition, leading to serious health issues like arthritis and neurologic disorders. Due to the fact that it can affect neurological functions, it can be one of the potential causes of facial paralysis.

In the later stages of Lyme disease, patients can develop facial paralysis as a result of damage to the nervous system. Lyme disease already has very unfortunate side effects. Facial paralysis is not something the already debilitated person wants to add to their list of things they are suffering from.

When patients begin to seek treatment for their Lyme disease, they usually continue to consult with their primary care doctor. While these doctors are fully qualified to manage the majority of the care for these patients, they usually are not highly specialized with facial nerves.

When suffering from Lyme disease it’s important to find a facial paralysis expert to help you navigate the difficult effects the disease has had on your facial nerve. Dr. O at the New York Facial Paralysis Center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of facial nerve paralysis. She is Co-Director of the Facial Nerve Center at Lenox Hill and Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospitals.