Q My facial palsy came during a period of heavy stress and overtime. What should I change to prevent recurrence?
A Chronic stress overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, constricting microvessels and lowering immunity. Adequate sleep and relaxation are the keys to preventing recurrence.
Detailed Answer
Chronic stress overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, constricting the microvessels around the nerve, while lack of sleep weakens immune regulation and raises the risk of paralysis. To reduce recurrence, it is important to secure deep, stable sleep so that the brain and nerves can rest fully, and to adjust your workload so that overwork does not accumulate. After recovery, continuing regular facial muscle exercises is also helpful.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Many of the patients we see at Dongjedang are office workers and self-employed people in their 30s and 40s suffering from financial pressure and frequent late-night work, with chronic fatigue and sleep deprivation usually underlying their condition. In Korean medicine, such depleted qi and blood are seen as unable to keep out the invasion of pathogenic factors (sagi). We recommend lifestyle habits such as 10 minutes of abdominal breathing a day to lower sympathetic tension, and applying a warm towel to the back of the neck and around the ears to open the blocked channels of qi and blood.
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