ITV GMB doctor explains 'increased risk' of suffering Tulisa's Bell's palsy illness

ITV Good Morning Britain doctor Amir Khan has explained when people are most at risk of the serious health issue with left I’m a Celebrity star Tulisa with a partially paralysed face. X Factor judge and former N-Dubz star Tulisa is making her TV comeback in the jungle.

According to the NHS, the condition is a temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects one side of the face. The I’m A Celeb contestant previously explained on Loose Women in 2020 that her condition stems from when she suffered nerve damage after a serious horse riding incident.

In the wake of the appearance Dr Khan took to instagram to explain it, saying: “Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. It’s usually one side, though rarely it can be both sides. It occurs when the facial nerve, which controls these muscles in our faces, becomes inflamed, swollen or compressed.

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“Now the exact cause is unknown, but it’s most likely to be triggered off by a viral infection. And the most common viruses are the core virus, the chicken pox virus or the Epstein Barr virus.”

Dr Khan said people would not normally even know they’d been infected by the viruses and said: “Now these viruses normally lie dormant inside of us, but can be woken up by triggers such as stress, sickness or even sleep deprivation.”

In terms of how people spot it he said: ”There are lots of symptoms of a bell’s palsy, the most common ones being an inability to lift the eyebrow on the affected side or close the eye on the affected side. And this eye can droop as well. You can also get a drooping side of the mouth, and that can lead to an asymmetrical smile. There can also be drooling pain in the area and even a headache.

“There’s an increased risk of developing Bell’s palsy in pregnancy with diabetes or, if you have a family history. There’s no specific test for Bell’s palsy, but sometimes tests are done to rule out other conditions. Now 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. Doctors sometimes prescribe steroids to treat a bell’s palsy and, in some cases, antiviral medication, though evidence for that is limited. If you’re worried, speak to a healthcare professional.”

Symptoms of Bell’s palsy include:

• weakness on 1 side of your face, or not being able to move 1 side of your face – this usually happens over a few days

• a drooping eyelid or corner of your mouth

• drooling

• a dry mouth

• loss of taste

• a dry or watering eye

The NHS says: “Bell’s palsy symptoms should get better within 6 months, but it can take longer for some people. Go back to see a GP if your symptoms are not getting better after 3 weeks.”

Some people can have permanent facial weakness and symptoms such as:

• pain in their face, around the jaw and behind the ear

• a constantly watering eye

• difficulty eating and drinking

• changes in their sense of taste

• difficulty with loud sounds