Facial Palsy Awareness Week: Day 6
Monday, March 02, 2015
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Eating and drinking with facial palsy:
Eating without dribbling and drinking out of cups is something most people take for granted after about the age of 2, but with facial palsy it's not that easy.
Incomplete mouth closure can lead to dribbling on the affected side and chewing the inside of your cheek is often a problem. This makes eating in public, particularly in groups, a major issue. Smaller bites help.
Drinking out of any cups in the acute phase is difficult and straws can help. A few years ago we were having breakfast in a restaurant in Vermont where I was presented with my coffee in a rustic earthenware mug. It soon became apparent that the only thing I was going to achieve by trying to drink out of it would be coffee down my front. Thick rimmed mugs are a no go, as are those bowl shaped coffee cups. I nearly always get my coffee in a to go cup as they are generally easier to drink from. Drinking from bottles is something I still struggle with.
In addition to the practicalities of eating and drinking with loss of mouth control, synkinesis meant that my eye would water badly when I ate. Eating in hotel restaurants alone with everyone thinking you're crying is so much fun! Botox has helped with this but hot food, both in temperature and spice, still makes my eye start running.
My taste buds were also affected. My favourite takeaway curry suddenly tasted horrible and I discovered I actually liked whiskey.
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