Who cured facial asymmetry in a child? Facial asymmetry. Upper eyelid disease - ptosis

As you know, the first thing a person pays attention to when meeting another person is their face. At the same time, they do not notice the asymmetry of the face, which everyone has, that is, this is the difference in shapes, sizes and distances of one half from the other. Facial asymmetry is considered individual feature external characteristics of a person. In nature, there are no identical faces in terms of asymmetry.

Root causes of facial asymmetry

From large quantity manifestations of the facial skull, which also includes osteochondral structures; the nose is considered the most important aesthetic and cosmetic formation. Its sizes and shapes not only determine this aesthetics, but are also considered to be the main ones in the formation of asymmetry. Of course, if you look very carefully, differences and unevenness in the contours of the eyebrows, the depth of the nasolabial folds, as well as in different shapes of the corners of the mouth, the position of the wings of the nose, in different shapes and sizes can be expressed ears and so on.

Correction of facial asymmetry is not considered necessary.


The absence of ideal asymmetry not only in the face, but also in other parts of the body and skeleton is mainly determined by personal morphological and anatomical features development, as various kinds of reasons that manifest themselves throughout life path, and innate in nature.

Externally, a violation of facial asymmetry is almost invisible, and occurs in absolutely all people. Deviations in proportions that range from three to five degrees or from two to three millimeters are the physiological norm.

The approach to deciding whether facial asymmetry needs to be eliminated is greatly influenced by the diagnosis of the causes.

Facial asymmetry groups

Due to the nature of the causes, absolutely all asymmetrical conditions are classified into three huge groups:

  1. Acquired;
  2. Combined;
  3. Congenital.

Congenital

It is caused by anomalies that are mainly associated with genetic predisposition, or disorders of a different nature that formed during the intrauterine formation of the fetus.

This may include:


Acquired

If facial asymmetry formed after birth, then this defect is considered acquired.

The main causes of acquired facial asymmetry are:

Combined

In this case, neurological pathology is considered the main one and is represented by a huge number of problems that can lead to facial expression disorders.

This includes:


Neuroscience is trying to look at the causes of facial asymmetry. Its final conclusions are taken into account in cases where a cosmetologist or plastic surgeon needs to choose treatment for facial asymmetry.

Neuroscience's relationship to asymmetry


If we talk about the disease from the neurological point of view, facial asymmetry is primarily revealed by a lack of symmetry in the cerebral hemispheres. Each of the large hemispheres carries out microregulation of sensations (that is, sensory), as well as motor skills of the corresponding halves of the body, in different ways. At the same moment, the acceptance by one person of the facial expressions of another also depends on the degree of reaction between the hemispheres of a particular person.

Neuroscience as a science considers the problem of facial asymmetry as a personal perception by the observer.


In other words, one person’s conclusion about asymmetry can be erroneous, while another person, due to the peculiarities of the interaction of the hemispheres, can come to the opposite conclusion.

That is why in neurology there are subsequent types of facial asymmetry, which should also be taken into account plastic surgery and cosmetology when finalizing the issue of correcting facial asymmetry.

Morphological or static type


This type of asymmetry disorder is characterized by the presence of differences in the resting state by other elements in structure, proportions, shapes and sizes. The reasons for all these differences mainly lie in personal developmental properties, diseases of the facial and masticatory muscles, the consequences of the disease and traumatic injuries, and pathology of the bones of the facial skull.

Functional (dynamic) type


It mainly consists of asynchronous contractions of the facial muscles and those formed during facial expressions. For example, an asymmetry that was absent at rest or simply a slight disproportion at rest is formed or seriously intensified when the lips are stretched out with a tube or a smile. The dynamic form of facial asymmetry is associated with acquired or congenital pathology of the facial muscles, residual effects lesions of the facial central nerve or peripheral ones in the form of Bell's palsy. With all this, the severity of asymmetry depends on the degree of damage facial nerve.

Correcting asymmetry

Therapy for this pathology is based on the causes, as well as establishing the degree and type pathological condition and prescribing treatment for the corresponding pathology in combination with the use of neurotrophic methods.

Since most common cause Facial nerve neuropathy is considered, the main principles of treatment are:


In addition, in almost all cases, special gymnastics exercises against facial asymmetry can be used, as well as electrical stimulation sessions, unless of course you have contraindications to its implementation.

Bolulotoxin injections

Various types of botulinum toxin preparations can be used for botulinum therapy:

  • Dysport.
  • Botox
  • Lantox.


In case of paresis and paralysis, correction with these means is done on the healthy half of the face, because it is there that increased muscle tone is formed.

In the case of the presence of muscle contractures, synkinesis and hyperkinesis, injections are given to the dependent muscles. Often, such therapy can rehabilitate facial asymmetry without surgery within four to six months.

Dermal gels

At the next stage, the volume of soft tissues is adjusted and contour plastic surgery through the use of hyaluronic acid fillers.


All medications included in the comprehensive therapy can make it possible to achieve high aesthetic and functional results in patients with long-term and severe forms of paralysis of the facial muscles.

Preparations of stabilized hyaluronic acid can not only remove the disproportion of areas and rehabilitate the aesthetic condition, but also have an excellent effect by improving microcirculation and trophic processes in tissues.

Thread lifting and surgical treatment


In such cases, when facial asymmetry is characterized by serious severity in the amount of more than five centimeters, surgical correction is necessary, because conservative treatment methods will not help.

At the same time, with paresis, in the presence of certain concomitant diseases, local defects of the terminal sections or the 1st branch of the facial nerve, or the patient’s refusal surgical intervention correction is possible using minimally invasive thread lifting, that is, lifting.


Basically, thread lifting is done in combination with botulinum therapy, and correction after surgery with stabilized hyaluronic acid fillers or during lipofilling surgery, that is, autologous fat.

The combination of all these methods can significantly improve the patient’s condition, significantly increase his quality of life and facilitate the so-called social adaptation.

Gymnastics for facial asymmetry

There are different exercises, here are the main ones:


The human body is by nature asymmetrical. If you look closely, you can see a slight difference between the length of the arms and legs, the size of the eyes and ears on the right and left sides of the body.

Usually these differences are quite minor and not noticeable, but in the case of infants, everything is different. The most common type of asymmetry in infants is different eye sizes.

In some cases, the difference is noticeable at birth, in others it appears in the first weeks of life. This nuance becomes a cause for concern for new parents. What are the reasons, and is there any cause for concern in a situation where a baby has one eye larger than the other?

Reasons for different eye sizes in babies

Almost all children are born with irregular shape skull, but during development the bones fall into place and the shape of the head evens out. The situation is completely different with the pronounced difference in the size of the right and left eyes. In the first minutes of life, the baby is examined by several doctors at once. One of them is a pediatric orthopedic doctor. He must determine the causes and severity of the visual defect.

There are several reasons:

Here we should talk about changes in the bones of the skull, soft tissues and nerves of the face. These changes lead to a significant difference between the left and right halves of the face, which is reflected in the size of the eyes. There are several factors leading to the appearance of eye asymmetry:

  • Incorrect formation of the fetal skull bones in the womb. At the development stage skeletal system For some reason, the child’s body does not receive enough of the necessary microelements. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may also be a cause.
  • Birth trauma in which the baby's head is severely deformed. The bones of a newborn’s skull are quite soft, but due to incorrect position of the fetus, for example, breech presentation, they can become deformed during childbirth.
  • Muscular dystonia or increased tone of facial muscles. This symptom is associated with impaired activity nervous system child.
  • Disruption of the facial nerve or damage to it during childbirth.
  • As a consequence of another defect - torticollis. The child's head and body are bent in one direction. Over time, changes in facial tissues occur, which leads to the expansion of one palpebral fissure and the narrowing of the other. This disease requires immediate treatment, as it will be much more difficult to correct over time.

Upper eyelid disease - ptosis

This disease is characterized by the weighting of one eyelid, which leads to the fact that the affected eye looks smaller than the healthy one. By its nature, ptosis can be congenital or acquired. Sometimes the disease is recognized only several days after the birth of the child. Fold upper eyelid on the diseased eye with this disease it smooths out, and the eyelid becomes visually higher in relation to the healthy eye. Thus, the eye visually changes size, becoming narrower.

Ptosis – serious illness , often leading to serious consequences. Over time, the eyelid can completely close the affected eye, leading to abnormal vision development and astigmatism.

It is worth understanding that any deviation from the norm in a baby is purely individual. Only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Therefore, the treatment method will be different in each case.


Treatment methods

For facial asymmetry:

  1. Massage. Starting from the first days of life, massage can solve the problem of facial asymmetry, thereby returning the eyes to the same size. Massage is prescribed for tone facial muscles, with birth injuries, with pinched facial nerves. With proper facial massage, blood circulation increases and muscles are toned. If you have torticollis, you should also massage the collar area. At the same time, weakened muscles “train” and acquire the necessary elasticity, which leads to the alignment of the neck and, as a result, all facial features.
  2. Physiotherapy. With the help of a course of physiotherapy, you can also achieve restoration of correct posture.
  3. To achieve equal size of both eyes, the eyelid of the larger eye is pulled upward and secured using an adhesive plaster. This tension helps smooth out the asymmetrical eyelid.
  4. In order for the treatment to be effective, you should not forget about the correct position of the baby’s body during sleep. You need to lay the child as straight as possible and change the position of the body during sleep, turning it from side to side.
  5. Drug treatment. Prescribed for advanced cases when other treatment options have failed.

For ptosis:

  • Conservative treatment. Galvanotherapy and UHF therapy are widely used. The method of fixing the eyelid of the diseased eye with a plaster is also used. If these procedures do not give the desired results, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
  • Surgery. It is used in most cases, as it is more effective. The operation should be performed at the most early age child in order to avoid complications. The optimal age for such an operation is 4-5 years, when the child’s eyelid tissue has already formed, which will avoid postoperative cosmetic defects.

Different eye sizes in infants are always a symptom of a deviation from the norm or a consequence of some disease. To make a timely diagnosis, do not delay visiting an ophthalmologist. The baby should visit an ophthalmologist at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. And if the problem exists and is visible from the moment of birth, you should immediately seek advice from a competent pediatric ophthalmologist.

Immediately after your baby is born, his head will be slightly deformed. It can even frighten mothers who did not take the time to read specialized literature before giving birth. There is no need to be afraid: during the passage of the birth canal, the bones, which are connected by soft cartilage, folded like a bud to make it easier for the child to be born. As a rule, the head becomes round a few days after birth. But if the baby has an asymmetrical face, this is a reason to visit a specialist. Let's try to figure out why facial asymmetry occurs in a newborn and what to do about it.

Natural asymmetry

It is not surprising that young mothers who have recently returned from the maternity hospital can spend hours looking at their baby. Very often they notice that the child's face is slightly asymmetrical. One eye is slightly larger than the other right eyebrow raised above the left... Should such symptoms be alarming? The answer to this question will be negative. Every person's face has slight natural asymmetry. Scientists have even proven that completely symmetrical faces are perceived as less attractive and even repulsive. Therefore, a slight asymmetry, which can only be noticed upon careful examination of the baby, should not cause alarm.

Noticeable asymmetry that catches the eye is a reason to visit a specialist

Main reasons for asymmetry

The main causes of facial asymmetry in newborns include:

  • uneven development of the bones of the facial skull caused by intrauterine trauma. In a baby, asymmetry can be caused by incorrect presentation, entanglement in the umbilical cord, etc.;
  • muscular dystonia, that is, a change in the tone of facial muscles;
  • damage to the facial nerve that was caused by compression obstetric forceps;
  • passage of the birth canal in a breech or transverse presentation. In this case, during childbirth, the head is flattened too much, and the lower jaw is subject to deformation;
  • fractures temporal bone during the passage of the birth canal;
  • epilepsy. This disease often causes facial asymmetry in newborns. At the same time, diagnosing epilepsy is quite difficult: for this you need to find an experienced specialist.

Often the cause of asymmetry is a disease such as torticollis. It is not difficult to notice this pathology and distinguish it from others: with torticollis, the entire body of the baby is bent in one direction. Unfortunately, if treatment for torticollis is not started in time, the muscles will become fixed in a deformed state, that is, the location of the facial tissues will change. As a result, one eye remains slightly dilated, the corners of the mouth shift, and the mouth itself becomes distorted.

Below, the reasons why facial asymmetry occurs in a newborn will be discussed in more detail.

Epilepsy of newborns

Epilepsy in newborns, which can cause the development of facial asymmetry, is quite difficult to diagnose. After all, the baby is not yet able to communicate about its condition, and a convulsive seizure can easily be confused with uncoordinated movements characteristic of any infant.

Seizures in a child can develop due to local brain damage during childbirth, hemorrhages and even strokes. Epilepsy also affects the symmetry of a child’s face. For example, you may notice that one nasolabial fold is smoother than the other, one eye opens wider than the other, etc.

Torticollis: manifestations and treatment

In children, torticollis, which is congenital pathology soft and bone tissues, usually appears two to three weeks after birth. Torticollis occurs in approximately 2% of children, and girls suffer from this disease much more often than boys.


The main reason torticollis is a pathology of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which for some reason loses elasticity

During childbirth, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is injured during the passage of the birth canal, resulting in muscle tissue a scar is formed that holds the baby's head in a certain position.

Pathology of the sternocleidomastoid muscle can occur due to intrauterine infection or due to the fact that the child is awkwardly positioned in the uterus. Torticollis can also develop due to entanglement in the umbilical cord or during breech presentation.

Torticollis can form due to the fact that parents hang toys on only one side of the crib. The baby is forced to constantly keep his head in one position, as a result of which the muscles of the neck and face are deformed.

Birth injuries

Unfortunately, they often become the reason that forces young parents to treat their baby for a long time after he is born.

The causes of birth trauma can be not only the inept actions of midwives, but also a number of other factors, for example, too narrow a pelvis, illness of the pregnant woman, post-term pregnancy. Also, birth injuries are caused by breech presentation of the fetus and its too much large sizes, intrauterine hypoxia, abnormal labor activity(too fast or too protracted labor) etc.


The reason why facial asymmetry develops in a newborn is usually the incorrect use of obstetric instruments, for example, forceps, a vacuum extractor and others.

The result of birth trauma can be damage to the facial nerves, which causes asymmetry. This is a serious complication that can remain with the child for a very long time, so you should immediately contact a doctor with such a problem.

How to deal with asymmetry?

Treatment for facial asymmetry in a newborn depends on what factor caused this manifestation.

For torticollis, the child is shown special drugs, as well as regular massage sessions and electrophoresis. Good result gives the correct positioning of the child. In particular, the child should lie with his healthy side against the wall. The baby will want to look at what is happening in the room and will try to turn its head in the opposite direction, which will stretch the brevis muscle.

For torticollis, pediatricians recommend using a special donut instead of a pillow, which you can make yourself from sterile bandages and cotton wool. You can also place bags of cereal on both sides of the head. The child should be kept in this position for 2 hours every day.

Wearing a torticollis, which is a foam rubber structure with a recess for the chin, helps correct torticollis.

Excellent results massage helps to achieve torticollis and physiotherapy.


After the sternocleidomastoid muscle stretches, the asymmetry of the newborn’s face will also disappear. It is important to start treatment as early as possible, otherwise irreversible changes may occur in the facial muscles

For epilepsy and birth trauma, treatment is prescribed individually. As a rule, if the baby is suffering epileptic seizures, the asymmetry of his face is one of the least problems of parents. To relieve seizures, special medications are prescribed, and modern physiotherapy helps achieve good results. Birth injuries that lead to facial asymmetry can be corrected with regular massage of the baby’s face. How to perform this massage? You will learn about this in the next section.

Massage of a newborn's face

An experienced massage therapist can easily determine the asymmetry of a baby’s face: on one side the muscles are always more trained, on the other they are sluggish and relaxed. On the side on which the muscles are weaker, the exercises should be repeated three times more than on the “stronger” side. Usually on the more “trained” side the eyes are slightly smaller in size. This means that on this side the impact will be less.


Hands should be washed before massage warm water and wipe dry. The child should be placed on your lap. Massage should be performed after the child has eaten a hearty meal.

The main technique of facial massage for newborns is gentle stroking, which is performed with three fingers pressed tightly together. When touching, do not put too much pressure on your fingers: the baby should experience pleasure from the touch. In addition, it is very important not to damage delicate skin child.

First you need to make stroking movements along the hairline from the forehead to the temples. After making 5-7 movements, you can move to the forehead, running your fingers between the hairline and eyebrows towards the temporal zone.

Special attention should be given to eyebrows. Eyebrows should be stroked with light pressure, moving from the bridge of the nose to the temples.

In the same way, you need to “treat” all areas of the face: the wings of the nose, the cheeks, the dimple above upper lip. You need to finish the massage by lightly stroking the baby's neck.

Facial asymmetry in a newborn may be a completely normal individual sign, or it may indicate the presence of a fairly serious neurological disease that requires urgent treatment. Therefore, you should definitely talk to your pediatrician and discuss your concerns with him.

Immediately after your baby is born, his head will be slightly deformed. It can even frighten mothers who did not take the time to read specialized literature before giving birth. There is no need to be afraid: during the passage of the birth canal, the bones, which are connected by soft cartilage, folded like a bud to make it easier for the child to be born. As a rule, the head becomes round a few days after birth. But if the baby has an asymmetrical face, this is a reason to visit a specialist. Let's try to figure out why facial asymmetry occurs in a newborn and what to do about it.

Natural asymmetry

It is not surprising that young mothers who have recently returned from the maternity hospital can spend hours looking at their baby. Very often they notice that the child's face is slightly asymmetrical. One eye is slightly larger than the other, the right eyebrow is raised higher than the left... Should such symptoms be alarming? The answer to this question will be negative. Every person's face has slight natural asymmetry. Scientists have even proven that completely symmetrical faces are perceived as less attractive and even repulsive. Therefore, a slight asymmetry, which can only be noticed upon careful examination of the baby, should not cause alarm.

Noticeable asymmetry that catches the eye is a reason to visit a specialist

Main reasons for asymmetry

The main causes of facial asymmetry in newborns include:

  • uneven development of the bones of the facial skull caused by intrauterine trauma. In a baby, asymmetry can be caused by incorrect presentation, entanglement in the umbilical cord, etc.;
  • muscular dystonia, that is, a change in the tone of facial muscles;
  • damage to the facial nerve that was caused by compression with obstetric forceps;
  • passage of the birth canal in a breech or transverse presentation. In this case, during childbirth, the head is flattened too much, and the lower jaw is subject to deformation;
  • fractures of the temporal bone during the passage of the birth canal;
  • epilepsy. This disease often causes facial asymmetry in newborns. At the same time, diagnosing epilepsy is quite difficult: for this you need to find an experienced specialist.

Often the cause of asymmetry is a disease such as torticollis. It is not difficult to notice this pathology and distinguish it from others: with torticollis, the entire body of the baby is bent in one direction. Unfortunately, if treatment for torticollis is not started in time, the muscles will become fixed in a deformed state, that is, the location of the facial tissues will change. As a result, one eye remains slightly dilated, the corners of the mouth shift, and the mouth itself becomes distorted.

Below, the reasons why facial asymmetry occurs in a newborn will be discussed in more detail.

Epilepsy of newborns

Epilepsy in newborns, which can cause the development of facial asymmetry, is quite difficult to diagnose. After all, the baby is not yet able to communicate about its condition, and a convulsive seizure can easily be confused with uncoordinated movements characteristic of any infant.

Seizures in a child can develop due to local brain damage during childbirth, hemorrhages and even strokes. Epilepsy also affects the symmetry of a child’s face. For example, you may notice that one nasolabial fold is smoother than the other, one eye opens wider than the other, etc.

Torticollis: manifestations and treatment

In children, torticollis, which is a congenital pathology of soft and bone tissues, usually appears two to three weeks after birth. Torticollis occurs in approximately 2% of children, and girls suffer from this disease much more often than boys.


The main cause of torticollis is a pathology of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which for some reason loses its elasticity.

During childbirth, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is injured during the passage of the birth canal, as a result of which a scar is formed in place of the muscle tissue, holding the baby's head in a certain position.

Pathology of the sternocleidomastoid muscle can occur due to intrauterine infection or due to the fact that the child is awkwardly positioned in the uterus. Torticollis can also develop due to entanglement in the umbilical cord or during breech presentation.

Torticollis can form due to the fact that parents hang toys on only one side of the crib. The baby is forced to constantly keep his head in one position, as a result of which the muscles of the neck and face are deformed.

Birth injuries

Unfortunately, birth injuries often become the reason that forces young parents to treat their baby for a long time after he is born.

The causes of birth trauma can be not only the inept actions of midwives, but also a number of other factors, for example, too narrow a pelvis, illness of the pregnant woman, post-term pregnancy. Also, birth injuries are caused by breech presentation of the fetus and its too large size, intrauterine hypoxia, abnormal labor (too fast or too long labor), etc.


The reason why facial asymmetry develops in a newborn is usually the incorrect use of obstetric instruments, for example, forceps, a vacuum extractor and others.

The result of birth trauma can be damage to the facial nerves, which causes asymmetry. This is a serious complication that can remain with the child for a very long time, so you should immediately contact a doctor with such a problem.

How to deal with asymmetry?

Treatment for facial asymmetry in a newborn depends on what factor caused this manifestation.

For torticollis, the child is prescribed special medications, as well as regular massage sessions and electrophoresis. Proper positioning of the child gives a good result. In particular, the child should lie with his healthy side against the wall. The baby will want to look at what is happening in the room and will try to turn its head in the opposite direction, which will stretch the brevis muscle.

For torticollis, pediatricians recommend using a special donut instead of a pillow, which you can make yourself from sterile bandages and cotton wool. You can also place bags of cereal on both sides of the head. The child should be kept in this position for 2 hours every day.

Wearing a Shants collar, which is a foam rubber structure with a notch for the chin, helps correct torticollis.

Massage and physical therapy can help achieve excellent results for torticollis.


After the sternocleidomastoid muscle stretches, the asymmetry of the newborn’s face will also disappear. It is important to start treatment as early as possible, otherwise irreversible changes may occur in the facial muscles

For epilepsy and birth trauma, treatment is prescribed individually. As a rule, if a baby suffers from epileptic seizures, the asymmetry of his face is one of the least problems of parents. To relieve seizures, special medications are prescribed, and modern physiotherapy helps achieve good results. Birth injuries that lead to facial asymmetry can be corrected with regular massage of the baby's face. How to perform this massage? You will learn about this in the next section.

Massage of a newborn's face

An experienced massage therapist can easily determine the asymmetry of a baby’s face: on one side the muscles are always more trained, on the other they are sluggish and relaxed. On the side on which the muscles are weaker, the exercises should be repeated three times more than on the “stronger” side. Usually on the more “trained” side the eyes are slightly smaller in size. This means that on this side the impact will be less.


Before the massage, hands should be washed with warm water and wiped dry. The child should be placed on your lap. Massage should be performed after the child has eaten a hearty meal.

The main technique of facial massage for newborns is gentle stroking, which is performed with three fingers pressed tightly together. When touching, do not put too much pressure on your fingers: the baby should experience pleasure from the touch. In addition, it is very important not to damage the baby’s delicate skin.

First you need to make stroking movements along the hairline from the forehead to the temples. After making 5-7 movements, you can move to the forehead, running your fingers between the hairline and eyebrows towards the temporal zone.

Particular attention should be paid to the eyebrows. Eyebrows should be stroked with light pressure, moving from the bridge of the nose to the temples.

In the same way, you need to “treat” all areas of the face: the wings of the nose, the cheeks, the dimple above the upper lip. You need to finish the massage by lightly stroking the baby's neck.

Facial asymmetry in a newborn may be a completely normal individual symptom, or it may indicate the presence of a fairly serious neurological disease that requires urgent treatment. Therefore, you should definitely talk to your pediatrician and discuss your concerns with him.

Slight asymmetry of the body (almost imperceptible differences in the structure of the right and left halves) is a normal, widespread phenomenon due to genetic characteristics and dominance of the functions of the right or left limbs. Facial asymmetry also occurs in all people, but in in this case the phenomenon can cause complexes, discomfort and even nervous disorders. In some cases, even what is considered normal among specialists may seem like a pathological deviation to the owner of a non-standard face. The causes of the condition can be varied. In some cases, the formation of inconsistencies can be avoided; you just need to eliminate the effect of certain factors on the body.

The difference between normal and pathological

It is quite simple to distinguish physiological asymmetry from pathology. Under normal conditions, the difference is not obvious; only small differences are noted in a comparative analysis of the two halves of the face. Most often, the left half of the face is characterized by more feminine and smoothed features, slightly elongated vertically. At the same time, the right half is a little wider, more courageous and sharper. Experts have even established specific indicators to facilitate the diagnosis process - the difference in proportions should not exceed 3-5° or 2-3 mm.

Especially when difficult cases– for example, when the facial nerve is damaged, facial asymmetry is accompanied by severe symptoms.

  1. On the affected half, the facial muscles weaken, which leads to sagging cheeks and drooping corners of the mouth.
  2. The affected part of the face becomes like a mask due to the impossibility of traditional movements.
  3. Natural frontal and nasolabial folds are smoothed out.
  4. The palpebral fissure widens noticeably.
  5. Unlike the healthy half, a pained expression appears on the affected part.
  6. Facial expressions suffer greatly: the ability to close an eye, raise a lip, wrinkle your nose or forehead is lost. All this applies only to the sick side.
  7. Over time, signs of speech impairment appear, and the risk of eating problems is high.
  8. In some cases external signs accompanied by severe pain.

In case of dysfunction of the muscles on one side of the neck, the formation of specific symptoms, for example, a strong tilt of the head to one side, the obvious predominance of the volume of one cheek, smoothing out the shape of the head.


Reasons for asymmetry

The causes of asymmetry of the body and face are divided into congenital and acquired. The degree of development of the pathology and the method of eliminating it depend on the type of provoking factor.

Congenital facial asymmetry can be a consequence of the following conditions caused by the disorder: intrauterine development or genetic predisposition:

  • pathology of the development of skull bones;
  • disruption of the process of formation of the joint that attaches lower jaw to the temple;
  • defects of connective and muscle tissue;
  • slow development of the lower jaw.

Acquired pathology usually results from trauma, past diseases and improper care of the jaws and muscles. Similar reasons there are many.

  • Prolonged lying on one side of the body or a consequence of torticollis in children.
  • Violation visual function eyeballs with the formation of strabismus.
  • Inflammatory and infectious processes (for example, rupture of a boil), leading to damage or pinching of the facial nerve.
  • Absence of teeth on one side of the face, severe malocclusion.
  • Fractures of the facial bones with displacement and improper fusion of the edges.
  • Systemic diseases of muscle or connective tissue.
  • Poor lifestyle (regularly squinting one eye, using only one part of the jaw while chewing, sleeping on one side, constantly using chewing gum).

Facial asymmetry is often side effect stroke and occurs as a result of permanent paralysis of the facial muscles.


Diagnosis and treatment

Often it is enough to make a diagnosis visual inspection patient, collecting anamnesis, identifying injuries and inflammatory processes. In addition, facial proportions can be measured using special instruments.

To clarify the extent of damage to the facial nerve and identify the area of ​​influence, it is necessary to additionally go through the following steps:

  1. get advice from a neurologist;
  2. undergo a complete hardware neurological examination;
  3. take an X-ray of the skull;
  4. get advice from specialized specialists (ophthalmologist, dentist or neurosurgeon);
  5. perform an MRI of the face.

Treatment of the pathology depends on the cause and can be conservative. Massage and gymnastics of the muscular frame with increased stimulation of problem areas help well. In some cases, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed. It is important to note that treating the condition at home without the recommendation and regular monitoring of a doctor is prohibited!
If the face is not severely disfigured, then correctly applied cosmetics, a certain shape of hairstyle, and the use of a beard or mustache (for men) are sufficient.

If the asymmetry of the face leads to its disfigurement, radical methods are used: treatment by an orthodontist, surgical correction of the maxillofacial apparatus, plastic surgery.


Negative consequences and preventive measures

If the pathology is not treated, there is a high risk of deterioration of the condition, which can lead to nutrition problems, hearing impairment, painful sensations as a result of constant muscle tension. Don't forget about the deterioration mental state patient. Neuroses, aggressiveness, pathological isolation and chronic depression are possible. After unsuccessful surgical intervention, facial expressions often change, and nervous tic, a tendency to inflammatory processes is formed.

The development of such an unpleasant condition as facial asymmetry can be prevented. You just need to lead healthy image life, regularly visit the dentist and, if necessary, the orthodontist, refuse bad habits, promptly consult a doctor if risk factors develop.

If a person is unable to come to terms with his external characteristics, a harmonious existence is impossible. Even with a slight asymmetry that confuses the patient, he is indicated for conservative and even radical therapy at the discretion of the specialist.

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