Angelina Jolie reveals she had Bell’s palsy this year

Angelina Jolie, 42, spoke out about her split from Brad and her health woes this week

Angelina Jolie has revealed she suffered from hypertension and Bell’s palsy as her marriage to Brad Pitt was falling apart.

The mother-of-six, who has been vocal about her private health battles in the past, said the conditions caused one side of her face to droop, and she needed acupuncture to treat it. 

She also opened up about going through menopause early, and how the debilitating symptoms forced her to take charge of her health and life.

Jolie, 42, divulged her latest health issues in a new interview with Vanity Fair, her first since splitting from Pitt last year.  

‘I can’t tell if it’s menopause or if it’s just been the year I’ve had. Sometimes women in families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health,’ she said in the interview, published on Wednesday.

‘I actually feel like more of a woman because I’m being smart about my choices, and I’m putting my family first, and I’m in charge of my life and my health.

‘I think that’s what makes a woman complete.’

Within minutes of the magazine’s release, there was a spike in Google searches for ‘Bell’s palsy’.

Here, we explain the conditions, the risk factors, and how it could be triggered or exacerbated by hypertension and menopause.

WHAT IS BELL’S PALSY?

Bell’s palsy causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face. It may also affect the sufferer’s sensitivity to noise and affect their taste buds. 

The condition affects around 40,000 Americans each year.

It is caused by trauma or damage to the seventh cranial nerve, the nerve which controls the muscles in your face.

The exact cause is unknown. 

It is most common among children under the age of 15 and adults over the age of 60. Other high-risk groups are pregnant women, diabetics, and people with the flu. 

However, it is also commonly associated with viral infections like meningitis or the herpes simplex 1 virus, which causes cold sores. Doctors believe the virus could cause the facial nerve to become inflamed, restricting oxygen flow to the face, and putting pressure on the muscles. 

Within minutes of Jolie’s interview being released, there was a spike in searches for Bell’s palsy

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WHAT ARE ANGELINA JOLIE’S RISK FACTORS?

HYPERTENSION

Angelina Jolie said she suspects her newly-diagnosed hypertension was one of the things that triggered her Bell’s palsy.

The condition, characterized by abnormally high blood pressure above 140/90, is a major risk factor for strokes and heart conditions. 

It puts intense pressure on blood vessels and nerves. Though it is not the most common cause of Bell’s palsy, doctors say it is a logical link. 

MENOPAUSE 

The actress also suggested menopause could have increased her risk. 

At the age of 42, Jolie is much younger than the average menopausal woman. In most women, they stop menstruating between the ages of 48 and 55. Anything before 40 is deemed premature menopause, but 42 is still on the younger side. 

Menopause is not typically a cause of Bell’s palsy; cases are rare. However, experts warn that stress and hormonal fluctuations can put undue pressure on the nervous system, which could affect the facial nerves. 

Twelve years: Jolie and Pitt met filming Mr Mrs Smith (left) in 2004, as Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. They were together until 2016 (right), after making By The Sea together

STRESS 

Finally stress, though not a driving factor of Bell’s, is known to increase one’s risk of developing the condition. 

Jolie has been frank about the pain of her divorce, and the strain it has had on her life. 

The A-listers were together for 12 years before they announced their separation in September 2016.

They have six kids together: Maddox, 15; Pax, 13; Shiloh, 11; Zahara, 12; and twins Vivienne and Knox, nine. 

Filing the divorce papers last year, Jolie said the couple had suffered irreparable differences, accusing Pitt of consuming too much marijuana and being violent. 

Speaking to Vanity Fair this week, Jolie opened up about the difficulty of single-parenting in the wake of their split. 

Parenting: Jolie has six children with Pitt, including (L-R) Zahara, Vivienne, Shiloh, and Pax

‘It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air. [Moving in her own house] is a big jump forward for us, and we’re all trying to do our best to heal our family,’ she said.

‘I’m just wanting to make the proper breakfast and keep the house. That’s my passion. At the request of my kids, I’m taking cooking classes. As I go to sleep at night, I think, Did I do a great job as a mom or was that an average day?’  

Her divorce comes on the heels of a few years battling health issues. 

Jolie made headlines in May 2013 after revealing she’d had a double mastectomy.

Writing in an op-ed for the New York Times, Jolie said gene-testing revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene, which increases one’s risk of breast cancer by 65 percent.

As such, she decided to remove her breasts and get a surgical reconstruction to reduce her risk. 

Speaking out: Jolie divulged her latest health issues in a new interview with Vanity Fair, her first since splitting from Pitt last year

Two years later, in March 2015, Jolie revealed in another op-ed for the Times that she’d had a preventative laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.

Countless studies have shown the stressful impact such invasive and life-altering surgeries can have on women.  

COMBINATION OF FACTORS

All three factors – hypertension, menopause and stress – can trigger flare-ups of viral infections, like the herpes simplex 1 virus, which causes Bell’s.

HOW IS BELL’S TREATED?

Anyone experiencing facial drooping should go straight to the hospital, since it can be a symptom of something more serious such as a stroke or a tumor.  

If it turns out to be Bell’s, it is easily cleared up. 

Around 70 percent of people with Bell’s palsy make a complete recovery, with or without treatment. 

Treatment normally consists of facial massages or, as Jolie did: acupuncture.

In some cases, doctors prescribe steroids to reduce swelling. However, there is little precedence to suggest this works. 

Most people notice an improvement in their symptoms after about two to three weeks. However, a complete recovery can take between three and six months.