I’m A Celebrity star Tulisa has previously opened up about being diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. ITV’s Dr Amir Khan has now shared the symptoms of the condition to watch out for
Tulisa Contostavlos has been making waves this week as she joins the cast of this year’s I’m A Celebrity.
After tuning into the ITV show, many fans have speculated that the N-Dubz singer has had cosmetic surgery. However, the former X Factor judge has previously clarified that her decision to undergo procedures was due to a medical condition.
In a chat with ex-Love Island contestant Olivia Atwood on her ‘So Wrong It’s Right’ podcast, 36-year-old Tulisa disclosed that she opted for surgery and fillers after being diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy.
But what exactly is this condition? And what are its symptoms and triggers? ITV’s Dr Amir Khan has shed light on the subject in a TikTok video.
Speaking to his 246,000 followers, he explained: “Let’s talk about Bell’s Palsy. It’s a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. It’s usually one side, although rarely it can be both sides.
“It occurs when the facial nerve which controls these muscles in our faces becomes inflamed, swollen, or compressed.”
On the topic of what triggers it, Dr Khan stated that the “exact cause is unknown” but it’s “most likely to be triggered by a viral infection”. He pointed out that the most common culprits are the cold sore virus, chicken pox virus or the EpsteinBarr virus.
“These viruses normally lie dormant inside of us, but can be woken up by triggers,” he added. According to the medical expert, these triggers include stress, illness, and lack of sleep.
Discussing the symptoms of Bell’s Palsy, the doctor highlighted that there are “a lot of them,” with common ones including an inability to raise the eyebrow or close the eye on the affected side. He noted that the affected eye might droop and the same could happen to one side of the mouth. Dr Khan also mentioned other symptoms such as drooling, localised pain, and headaches.
He pointed out that the risk of developing Bell’s Palsy is higher for those who are pregnant, have diabetes, or a family history of the condition. The doctor explained that while there’s no specific test for Bell’s Palsy, tests may be conducted to exclude other possible conditions.
On treatment options, Dr Khan said: “Most cases of Bell’s Palsy will resolve in time without any treatment, but sometimes you need to put a patch over your eye if you can’t close it to stop it drying out and becoming damaged.”He added that doctors may prescribe steroids or anti-viral medication, although evidence for the latter is “limited”.
In his video conclusion, Dr Khan advised: “If you’re worried, speak to a healthcare professional.”
Reflecting on her own experience with Bell’s Palsy, Tulisa told Olivia Attwood: “When I was about 24, I had my first Bell’s Palsy attack, I was sat at home and I had this massive burst of inflammation.”
The singer described experiencing swelling on one side of her face accompanied by “tingling sensations like little ants crawling in [her] face”.
Tulisa has opened up about a harrowing experience where she was treated with steroid injections for facial swelling, which subsequently led to half of her face drooping. The aftermath was so severe that it left her confined to her home for months due to self-consciousness about her looks.
She shared: “I had a massive burst of inflammation and it went down but my whole face dropped… I couldn’t move it, my face remained like that for seven months, I didn’t go out, I just hid in the house.”
The singer explained that as her face began to sag, she found herself trapped in a “vicious cycle” of using fillers to restore some semblance of “symmetry” to her features.
