Ramsay Hunt Syndrome

🍃If you are here it is because you or someone close to you got Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2!

I know how difficult, frustrating, and disorienting it can be.

Now, it has more awareness because Justin Bieber announced on June 10 2022 to have this condition. 

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After you have been checked and ruled out for a possible stroke, doctors will usually prescribe you medicine.

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Many doctors are not prepared to treat this condition, they have either never seen it before or they don’t have experience on how to diagnose it correctly. Most of the time, it is misdiagnosed as Bell’s Palsy.

It is up to you to demand the right testing! These two conditions look similar, but they are different.

Ask them to check your throat, tongue, and ears for rashes (shingles), tell them if you have vertigo and ear pain, and tell them it is not Bell’s Palsy if you have these symptoms!!

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  • Bell’s Palsy is caused by Simplex Herpes virus HSV, which attacks cranial nerve #7, it appears as facial paralysis.

  • Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the reactivation of Varicella-Zoster Virus VZV (or chickenpox virus) basically is a form of shingles. It attacks Cranial Nerves

  • #7 (facial nerve) and #8 (ear nerve, pain, and vertigo), sometimes even more cranial nerves are involved

  • #5 #9 #12, such as deviation of the tongue. Get checked by a neurologist.

  • Ramsay Hunt syndrome arrives with pain, often vertigo, spinning and rash (shingles) in the ear canals or tongue blisters, headache, ear pain, and feeling that something is wrong. Sometimes the rash is not visible. If you have these symptoms don’t wait!

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Ask them to check your blood test for IgM and IgG  Zoster virus and skin swap in the throat, nose, and ear.

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The first thing you have to do is to act FAST.

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ANTIVIRALS

Be sure that your doctor gives you an ANTIVIRAL, such as valacyclovir or acyclovir. Demand it!

Take these antivirals as soon as possible, before 72 hours after the onset of the condition. You have a higher chance to recover (70% – 80%, compared to 50% without antivirals)

If the doctor doesn’t agree with you, you must search for another doctor very fast! A prepared doctor will also admit you to the hospital for IV antiviral.

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STEROIDS

Take a high dose of steroids, such as prednisone, to reduce the swelling, usually for 10-15 days, tapering off.  With steroids, you become more susceptible to viruses, so protect yourself more from COVID, and if you are dealing already with dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, you may notice an increase. See natural SD remedies here and dandruff remedies here.

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I have been searching for months for the most effective and best natural products on the market to help this condition and here they are:

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EYE CARE & PROTECTION

Since you can’t blink normally, your doctor will recommend you protect your eye. He will probably give you an eye patch and tape, to tape an eyelid shut.

Buy a moisture chamber on Amazon, since the eye tape can be very irritating on delicate skin, or try this non-toxic, medical-grade tape, or even better this non-toxic and non-irritating organic sports tape.

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  • Night protection: Apply eye lubricant, I checked every eye lubricant on the market, and this Refresh PM.  seems the one with the least chemical ingredients. Many eye ointments have many more irritant ingredients such as preservatives, and colorants.  Apply this during the night since you don’t want to scratch or dry your corneal. Then put the chamber on.

  • Day protection: Thes natural eye drops are great during the day since they won’t blur the vision like Refresh PM.  Again they are the most natural on the market. This eye spray is again the best and the most natural I found. Even many eye doctors were very impressed with the Nature Mist that they started to recommend it to their patients. use as many times as you need, it is all-natural!

  • Chambers: start with more protective ones can be both eyes or only 1 eye. Eye Chamber: it is handy also for taking a shower as well. You can see below the approved chambers.

  • Eye drops, lubricant, and mist: for the night it is recommended to use something stronger, the least toxic around is Refresh PM. Hopefully, it will be for only a short time and then you will be able to move on with more natural alternatives. These are the most natural eye drops on the market, they work very well, bring always them with you. This eye spray is again the best and the most natural I found.

  • Medical-grade tape: if you need help to tape your eye or keep in place your masks, this is not toxic, not irritant medical-grade tape, or even better this non-toxic and non-irritant organic sports tape.

  • Dry eyeglasses: wear these glasses when going out or when staying home until your eye began to blink normally again. They have sunglasses options, and a blue light option, great if you need to work with a computer.

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ORAL CARE:

It can be more challenging to keep the same oral hygiene, it could be more difficult to floss. So it is recommended to wash your teeth often with organic toothpaste, use organic mouthwash, and water pick instead of flossing. When you will be able to floss again use organic floss. I also recommend an electric toothpaste proven to clean better than manual.

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MASSAGE

massage your face many times during the day, with both hands feeling the touch and allowing the brain to feel the connection and the touch. It is therapeutical and you should massage it every day! Use relaxing organic candles with aromatherapy, and recommended lavender aroma.

Use a warm pillow to stimulate the area. 

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VITAMINS

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ACUPUNCTURE

According to Chinese medicine, Facial palsy I caused by wind conditions, so they will recommend you to protect your face from the air conditioner or during cold winter. Or open car window while driving. 

Many specialists will say to start acupuncture as soon as possible but to avoid electric acupuncture since it could guide a wrong nerve connection creating synkinesis. Japanese needles are smaller and more comfortable for face acupuncture. I recommend Nobuko in LA, in New York these

Scalp Acupuncture: very popular for neurologic issues Is Scalp acupuncture, modern acupuncture proven to heal similar conditions. The pioneers and experts in this field are:

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Quantum Neurology  

quantumneurology: Dr. Gonzalez suggests that Dr. Darlene Case, DC might be a good fit for this case. She is in good standing in that community, and he suggests that you reach out to her office. 

If you’d like to broaden your search of doctors in the Los Angeles area, you may check out the options here 

Dr. Gonzalez also mentions that any and all of their trained doctors are welcome to reach out to Dr Gonzalez if they need assistance in tackling a difficult patient case, and he will strategize further protocols with them.

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PHYSICAL THERAPY

Many doctors will encourage you to start PT as soon as possible, the national expert in the country Jackie Deals always say don’t do it until 3 months. Facial retraining is facial physical therapy and needs to be done by a specialist, not just by a physical therapist. Facial retraining is also specialized in reducing Synkinesis (varying degrees of motor weakness accompanied by abnormal, unsynchronous facial movements)

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REST

You will need to rest to allow the body to recover. If you need help to sleep during this period, get some Magnesium and check this page.

FOOD

  • Celery Juice: Start your morning with celery juice, great way to send healthy mineral salts to your nerve endings, as recommended by medical medium: When these powerful mineral salts make contact with viruses such as Epstein-Barr, HHV-6, and shingles; bacteria such as Streptococcus; and other pathogens—troublemakers responsible for chronic illness—the salts begin to break down the pathogens’ cell membranes, eventually killing and destroying them.

  • Food: organic and healthy food suggested by medical medium are: fruit, potatoes (high in lysine), leafy green (red leaf lettuce and romaine), cucumber and tomato salad with cilantro, parsley, sage, and rosemary, and tomatoes. Garlic and onion are perfect antivirals. Prepare soft food that doesn’t require checking. Buy only organic food, and help your body to heal.

  • Water: Drink a lot especially at the beginning when you are taking this medication. Avoid acid-bottled water suggests the best and alkaline water on the market in glass bottles.

  • smoothie: use these detoxing  ingredients  medical medium

  • Straw: Use a straw if you need to.

  • Lysine food: is supposedly reducing the virus strength, compared to arginine, the virus uses arginine for its growth and replication food. I suggest integrating more lysine food into your diet for this period. Check the data here.    

  • This study shows: Foods with a high ratio of lysine to arginine could be supplemented (yogurt, milk, cheese), while the converse avoided in large quantities (nuts, fruit juices, berries). 12,13 Lysine supplements can also be considered in those without chronic liver or kidney disease (1,000 mg three times a day)

  • Spices and herbs: add more spice to your food such as

  • turmeric (a natural anti-inflammatory), also tea: Curcumin reduces nerve swelling caused by shingles neurotoxins.(medical medium)

  • ginger (antiviral) you could get also organic ginger tea

  • rosemary (antiviral high in lysine)

  • Garlic and onion: 

  • licorice tea: Licorice root tea and tincture are very effective at impairing the ability of virus cells to move and reproduce. (medical medium)

  • Red clover blossom tea: is a great tea to include because of its potent antiviral properties (medical medium)

EXERCISE

walk every day for 30 minutes, possibly in natural, smog-free environment.

Tai chi chih: study it shows that slow movement and tai chi adults ranging in age from 59 to 86, showed that practicing tai chi chih alone boosted immunity to a level comparable to having received the standard vaccine against the shingles-causing varicella zoster virus.

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MEDITATION

try any relaxing technique to keep your mind and body balanced

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BOOKS

Fix My Face

Medical medium: You can discover more about some of the most healing foods for shingles and Bell’s Palsy in my book Life-Changing Foods.

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RESOURCES:

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FOUNDATIONS

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CENTERS

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LOS ANGELES DOCTOR

You will probably need a team to treat and check your condition: You will need a neurologist, infection disease, ENT, physical therapist, eye doctor, and acupuncturist. If you can’t find an experienced specialist comfortable to treat your condition in your network, demand your insurance to cover the one that can.

 

ENT

Dr. Shawn Nasseri is a genius, while other doctors could miss this condition.

Mattew Lee is the only ENT at Cedars Snasi with RHS experience

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FACIAL SURGEON

Babak Azizzadeh is the best facial palsy surgeon, a pioneer in his field.

Amit Kocchar ENT  director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program

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EYES CHECK

Dr. Swaraj Bose Neuro Olfatology to check if your eye is recording fine and if your care is appropriate

 

PT SPECIALIST

Jackie Diels: The number one facial palsies PT specialist in the world.

Kelli Baruch In the Los Angeles area she is the most experienced therapist.

Esther Alfi In Beverly Hills, I can recommend her.

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CHIROPRACTIC

Los Angeles dr Faye

Tucson Arizona: Dr. Brett Jones

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FACE YOGA

This facial exercises expert helped many clients with facial palsy, bell’ palsy to regain facial symmetry

I recommend FACE YOGA METHOD exercises.

Danielle Collins is another face yoga expert.

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Lastly, be careful when with anyone who never had chickenpox, since you are contagious, especially with the lesions.

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I am not a doctor, but this is what I learned from months of research, medical studies, and expert guidance from all over the country and the world. I found many unprepared practitioners to deal with this condition, even in the famous hospitals in Los Angeles. They can often misdiagnose the condition, so I highly recommend you research a true specialist. If your doctors are not experts in this field you will need to educate yourself to get the best care!

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Many doctors are responsable for misdiagnosis Ramsay Hunt for Bell’s Palsy failing to treat their patient in this delicate moment that requires a prompt care and intervention in such limited time frame (3 days from the onset).

If you need a referral for someone who can help you to navigate this legal matter send me an email: info@prettyorganicgirl.com

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