"Water Leaked From One Side of My Mouth While Brushing My Teeth"...Ahn Eun-jin Opens Up About Her Facial Paralysis [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Actor Ahn Eun-jin revealed that she was diagnosed with facial paralysis after developing facial nerve palsy while filming a drama. She sought medical attention after water began leaking from one side of her mouth while brushing her teeth, and said she received treatment after halting part of the production.

A video featuring Ahn Eun-jin as a guest was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Yojeong Jaehyung' on the 13th.
Ahn Eun-jin said she began experiencing unusual symptoms while filming the JTBC drama 'The Good Bad Mother.' She said, "I got facial nerve palsy after suffering a stroke-like episode," adding, "I was washing my face and brushing my teeth on a filming day when water started leaking from one side of my mouth."
She said she did not initially realize that she had facial nerve palsy. Ahn Eun-jin explained, "I went to the set without knowing that it was facial nerve palsy, but as I got closer to the set, I kept wondering what was wrong. I told the director and went to the hospital," adding, "The hospital told me it was facial paralysis."

Ahn Eun-jin said she was unfamiliar with the condition at the time and thought it would improve after a few days of rest. However, her symptoms gradually worsened, and the filming schedule was adjusted. She said, "We filmed the scenes in the United States only through that day and then stopped everything," adding, "Because my face moved with a delay, we filmed only my side profile."
She also underwent treatment. Ahn Eun-jin said, "I went to both Western and traditional Korean medicine clinics, received acupuncture, and was given high-dose steroids. That bought me a month."
She also revealed that she experienced swelling during steroid treatment. She said, "Even after going for a walk, my face would be swollen, and my knees would swell. It was difficult to stay positive at the time," adding, "My face kept getting more swollen as the drama went on, and it ended that way. I had no choice because I had to keep filming."


The Korean term for facial nerve palsy literally refers to a condition in which the eyes and mouth become crooked. Medically, it is used in connection with facial paralysis and facial nerve palsy. When the seventh cranial nerve, the facial nerve that controls facial movements, is affected, the muscles on one side of the face may not move properly.
Facial paralysis can make it difficult to wrinkle the forehead or fully close the eyes. One corner of the mouth may droop, and water may leak while drinking or brushing the teeth. Food may spill from one side of the mouth, and speech may become unclear.
Asan Medical Center explains that facial paralysis may also cause excessive tearing, sensitivity to sound, speech abnormalities, and changes in taste. Sensation on the paralyzed side of the face is generally preserved, but some people may complain that their face feels swollen.

Facial paralysis is classified as central or peripheral depending on where the problem occurs. Central facial paralysis results from an issue in the nerve pathways inside the brain, while peripheral facial paralysis occurs when the facial nerve itself, which controls facial muscles, is affected. Peripheral facial paralysis with no clearly identified cause is called Bell’s palsy.
The National Health Information Portal operated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency explains that movements such as wrinkling the forehead, closing or blinking the eyes, and moving the mouth while showing the teeth can help distinguish central from peripheral facial paralysis. People with peripheral facial paralysis often have difficulty fully closing the affected eye and may be unable to wrinkle the forehead normally.
If sudden facial paralysis is accompanied by weakness in the arms or legs, sensory changes, difficulty swallowing, severe dizziness, double vision, or balance problems, a stroke must be ruled out. Slurred speech or difficulty understanding or expressing language also requires emergency medical attention.

Treatment depends on the cause. If the cause is identified as a stroke, brain tumor, middle-ear infection, shingles, trauma, or another condition, testing and treatment for that disease take priority. For Bell’s palsy, whose cause is difficult to determine, medication and monitoring are generally used.
The KDCA explains that corticosteroids are most effective for Bell’s palsy when administered within three days of symptom onset. This is why it is important to receive a diagnosis and begin treatment as soon as possible.
For Ramsay Hunt syndrome caused by the shingles virus, antiviral medication, painkillers, and steroids are used together. Asan Medical Center states that causes of facial paralysis include stroke, traumatic brain injury, high blood pressure, shingles, chronic middle-ear infection, cerebral infarction, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and acute middle-ear infection.

Facial paralysis can affect not only the facial muscles but also the eye’s protective function. If the eye cannot close completely, it may become dry and the cornea may be damaged.
During treatment, doctors monitor both the recovery of facial movement and the condition of the eye. If the eye becomes dry, artificial tears or eye drops may be used. Protective measures are also taken during sleep to prevent the eye from remaining exposed.


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