Cinema and serial artist Manoj, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, revealed that he has been suffering from Bell's Palsy, a condition that causes temporary paralysis of the facial muscles often making the face droop to one side. In the video, the left side of Manoj's face is seen drooped. It was last month that the actor realised that he was suffering from this condition.
Manoj felt something unusual with his face when he woke up one morning. He had shared the video with the title ‘Here's what happened when fate struck my face'. Reading the title, many people clicked on the video thinking it to be funny. However, they were in for a shock when Manoj revealed about his condition. The actor begins the video by warning the audience not to get scared by the look of his look.
In this video, Manoj explains about Bell's Palsy or facial palsy in detail. He added that he had decided to make the video to educate others about this condition. The actor asks his viewers not to get scared or stressed in case they have Bell's Palsy. As a note of caution, Manoj warns them against letting cool air from the air conditioner directly hit the face. Meanwhile, he said that he has started physio therapy as part of his treatment.
"The incident that changed my life had happened on 28 November. I felt uncomfortable when I went to bed the previous night. I tried to sleep hoping that everything would be fine in the morning. However, my face got temporarily drooped. When I spat after rinsing my mouth, the water came out from one side of the mouth. While brushing, I noticed that one side of my face was drooped. It felt as if that side of the face had suddenly become weak. I realised that one side of my face wasn't working," recalls Manoj.
Manoj admits that he was worried that the sudden weakening of the facial muscles was a symptom of stroke. When he told this to his wife, actress Beena Antony, she consoled him and tried to calm him down. Manoj then called his father's younger brother who is a doctor. He spoke with his uncle on video call. After listening to Manoj, the doctor said that there was nothing to worry and immediately diagnosed the condition as Bell's Palsy. He advised Manoj to consult a doctor and do an MRI scan to rule out any conditions related to head. The tests confirmed it as Bell's Palsy and the doctors immediately started medication for two weeks. Manoj then underwent a thorough check up at Aster Medicity too.
"I was really stressed. My family was against posting this video. However, I wanted everyone to understand the stress and tension that I went through. In case you suffer from this condition, there is no need to get scared. My condition has improved now. I am undergoing physio therapy. I realised that a video that I had uploaded about the pulse oximeter during the Covid times had been helpful to many. That is why I had decided to share this video," Manoj says.
