The most common form of facial paralysis is Bell’s palsy. The incidence is reported to be approximately 25 cases per 100,000 populations per year. The lifetime risk of getting Bell’s palsy is 1 in every 60 person.

What are the symptoms of Bell’s palsy?

Bell’s palsy is acute facial palsy (paralysis). Bell’s palsy starts abruptly and generally attains maximum weakness in 2 days (48 hours). Sometimes pain in the face and behind the ear may precede weakness (paralysis) by a day or two till the patient of the family notice that there loss of movement in one side of the face. Sometimes patient describe the face as being numb (but there is no evidence of lack of sensation except taste). There may be loss of taste sensation in one side of the tongue. There may also be hyperacusis (an exceptionally acute sense of hearing and occurs due to involvement of nerve to stapedius). Generally approximately 80% of the patients of Bell’s palsy recover in few weeks or months time and presence of incomplete paralysis in the first week of starting of Bell’s palsy is the most favorable sign for good prognosis.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder where there are severe disturbances of eating behavior. The characteristic feature of bulimia nervosa is episodes (which are recurrent) of binge eating that is followed by abnormal compensatory behaviors, such as vomiting (self-induce). Bulimia nervosa characteristically occurs among previously healthy young women who suddenly becomes over conscious about their figure and body weight. Many bulimia nervosa have history of anorexia nervosa. Although bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa seems to be in opposite poles, but actually they share many common features and the main differentiating feature of these two (bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa) disorders is body weight.

How common is bulimia nervosa?

Clinical bulimia nervosa or true bulimia nervosa has a lifetime prevalence of approximately 1-3%, but occasional binge eating disorder is much more common (5–10%) among young women. Bulimia nervosa is a disease of developed industrialized countries and rare among underdeveloped and poor countries.

BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a common health problem among males of more than 55 years of age. Benign changes (as well as malignant) in the prostate increase with age especially after the age of 55 years. Routine autopsies done in the eighth decade of life shows hyperplastic changes in prostate gland in more than 90% of men and malignant changes seen in more than 70% in prostate gland of men.

Anatomy of prostate gland:

To understand the symptoms of BPH, it is important to understand the anatomy and pathology of prostate gland.

Symptoms of BPH:

The symptoms of BPH are mainly of urinary symptoms and include hesitancy in urination, intermittent voiding of urine, a diminished urine stream, incomplete emptying of urine, and postvoid leakage of urine. It should be kept in mind that the severity of symptoms does not always depend on the size of prostate gland (i.e. bigger size does not always mean more sever symptoms). Resistance to urine flow generally reduces bladder compliance and lead to urgency, nocturia (passing of urine during sleep at night), and ultimately urinary retention. Infection, tranquilizing drugs, antihistamines, and alcohol may also precipitate urinary retention. BPH does not produce pain and pain is generally indicative of prostatitis.