Teen Mom star Bristol Palin has been left confused and upset after experiencing facial paralysis.
The 34-year-old mother-of-three, who is also the daughter of US politician Sarah Palin, said she has been left with “zero movement” on the left side of her face.
Nine days ago, Palin felt her face “pulling” toward the left. “Within a couple hours, the entire left side of my face was numb and just paralysed,” she told her followers on social media.
“I couldn't really blink my eye [and I] definitely had no movement on the side of my face... So crazy.”
On day one, Palin reported: “It's so bad. My nose is like crooked when I talk. It's really bad,” before heading to the doctors.
After getting medical help, doctors ran tests and a CT scan but “nothing came back”. Palin said her doctor “thinks it's just a case of Bell's palsy.”
The NHS website describes the condition as: “temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects one side of the face.”
“I know I look crazy right now but this has been such an improvement from what I was looking like,” she said as she shared pictures and video of her progress. Palin has been undertaking steroid treatment and other medication to treat the condition. She has also been experimenting with acupuncture, singing its praises.
“I'm finally starting to get some sensation back. It's been a little painful the last two days which is a good indication that it's getting better.”
Due to the paralysis, she explained that her eye has been left so dry she has found it difficult to shut it completely.
Palin said the experience has made her reflect on the importance of self-love and being kind to herself.
“The next time I say my nose is long and I want a nose job, I am going to remember this and I'm just going to be so thankful to have a normal, functioning face because this has been wild,” she said.
Bell’s Palsy is said to come on suddenly and the cause is unknown according to the NHS website. It affects approximately one in 70 people in the UK at some point in their life.
