Recently everyone came to know about this rarely occurring disease RHS where the person suffers from half-face paralysed along with a peculiar water-filled rash. It is quite severe and less likely to be cured despite the standard treatment available. But here I am going to talk about the goodness of homoeopathy and how this treatment can cure such conditions.
Anyone who has had chickenpox can potentially develop Ramsay Hunt syndrome. However, most cases affect older adults, especially those over 60. Ramsay Hunt syndrome affecting children is extremely rare.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is one of the rare neurological disorders known as paralysis of the face and a water-filled rash affecting the ear or mouth. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss may also be present. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is behind Ramsay Hunt syndrome. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox in children and shingles (herpes zoster) in adults. Previously inactive (dormant) varicella-zoster virus is reactivated and spreads to affect the facial nerve- Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
RHS has many names in the medical literature often confusing. The disorder is named after James Ramsay Hunt, a physician who first described the disorder in 1907. The disorder is also sometimes known as herpes zoster oticus because of the particular ear rash. Still, some physicians use herpes zostic oticus only for the ear rash and Ramsay Hunt syndrome for the combination of ear rash and facial paralysis.
Signs & Symptoms : The symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome are different from case to case. Affected persons usually experience paralysis of the facial nerve and ear rash and mostly one side of the face is affected.
Affected Facial muscles may be weak or feel stiff and result in the inability of affected individuals to smile, wrinkle the forehead or close their eyes on the affected side. And some cases report slurred speech.
RHS have a reddish painful, blistering rash that affects the outer portion of the ear and often the external ear canal. Some cases report the rash with painful blisters affecting the mouth, soft palate, and top portion of the throat.
Additional symptoms affecting the ear include ringing in the ear (tinnitus) and ear pain. In some cases, ear pain may be intense. Pain may spread to affect the neck. Some individuals develop sensorineural hearing loss, a condition in which sound vibrations are not properly transmitted to the brain due to a defect of the inner ear or the auditory nerve, resulting in hearing loss. Hearing loss is usually temporary (transient), however, in rare cases it may become permanent.
Some individuals experience hyperacusis, a condition in which sounds appear louder (often dramatically) than normal. This can cause tremendous discomfort for affected individuals.
Additional symptoms may be presented include nausea, vomiting, and a sensation that one’s surroundings are spinning (vertigo). In rare cases, loss of taste, dry mouth, and dry eyes may also occur.
The classic triad consists of otalgia, vesicles in the auditory canal and ipsilateral facial paralysis
Causes: Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. The virus can remain dormant for decades in a person who has had chickenpox as a child. Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus results in shingles and, in some cases, develops into Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
The reason why the virus reactivates and affects the facial nerve in Ramsay Hunt syndrome is depending on many predisposing factors like stress, poor diet and poor unhealthy lifestyle. The possibility of many drugs and vaccinations needs to be explored if they can reactivate the virus in slumber.
Affected Populations : RHS affects males and females in equal numbers. According to one estimate, 5 out of every 100,000 people develop Ramsay Hunt syndrome each year in the United States. The disorder is the second most common cause of atraumatic peripheral facial paralysis. Some researchers believe cases of RHS go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed making it difficult to determine the disorder’s true frequency in the general population.
Related Disorders: Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Ramsay Hunt syndrome.Bell’s palsy: A non-progressive neurological disorder of the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve). But no skin rash. Acoustic neuroma: It is a benign tumour of the 8th cranial nerve. This nerve lies within the internal ear canal. Pressure on this nerve results in the early symptoms of acoustic neuroma; a ringing sound in the ear (tinnitus), and/or hearing loss may occur. An associated compression of the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve) may produce muscle weakness; pressure on the trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve) may lead to facial numbness. The expansion of the tumor into different areas may result in impaired ability to coordinate the movement of the legs and arms (ataxia), numbness in the mouth, slurred speech (dysphagia), and/or hoarseness.
Trigeminal neuralgia: Also known as tic douloureux, is a disorder of the 5th cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) characterized by attacks of intense, stabbing pain affecting the mouth, cheek, nose, and/or other areas on one side of the face.
Diagnosis: A diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome is based on a thorough clinical evaluation, detailed patient history and identification of characteristic symptoms (i.e. facial palsy and rash). The diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome can be difficult because the specific symptoms of the disorder (otalgia, facial paralysis and the distinctive rash) do not always develop at the same time.
Homoeopathic Treatment: Homoeopathic Physicians take the whole case in detail to understand the symptoms as described above. Medicines are selected based on the symptoms of each patient which generally differ from person to person.
No medicine can be the common medicine for all patients so every affected person must consult the Homoeopathic Physician for quick and fast relief.
However, some indicative medicines as per the symptoms like which side is affected, right or left, type of pain and presentation of rash. Also, to see the effect of cold and warm, day and night. All together help in reaching the medicine required in each case. Some medicines are suggested as below:
Causticum: Paralysis on the right side of the face with the rash. Gradual onset, after some infection like typhoid etc., exposure to cold air. As a person, very sympathetic to others.
Dulcamara: After exposure to cold and damp weather or place, suppression of skin disease, sweat and menses. Either side was affected. Rash with watery vesicles.
Gelsemium: After an incident of fright, bad news, eyelids are closed, cannot open them. Thirstlessness.
Graphites: Suitable for obese women habitually constipated. Right is more affected with paralysis and rash on ears and face. Generally, they are very sensitive to cold weather.
Rhus Tox: After exposure to cold and rainy weather. With paralysis and watery rash, pain which is more severe on waking, after rest and better by movement. People crave milk.
The above are the most important medicines based on the symptoms presented in each case.
Homoeopathic treatment is the specialized method of treatment which considers the individual and his history up to his family and his personality.
All neurological disorders are treatable in homoeopathy by this specialized methodology.
Please note that this treatment is very much as it cannot cause any kind of side effects because homoeopathic medicines are not toxic in any way.
Choose Homoeopathy and heal yourself.
