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Actor Ahn Eun-jin has opened up about being diagnosed with facial paralysis while filming a drama series, saying the first sign something was wrong was water leaking from one side of her mouth while brushing her teeth.

A video featuring Ahn as a guest on the YouTube channel "Yojeong Jaehyeong" was released Sunday.

Ahn said she developed facial paralysis — known in Korean as "guanwasa" — while filming the JTBC drama series "The Good Bad Mother," recalling that she first noticed something unusual during her morning routine. "I was washing my face and brushing my teeth when water started leaking from one side of my mouth," she said. Not realizing it was a symptom of facial paralysis, she went to the set as usual.

As the day went on, she grew increasingly aware that her face was not moving normally. "The more I was on set, the more I thought something was off, so I told the director and went to the hospital," she said. "And the hospital told me it was facial paralysis."

She initially expected a few days of rest would resolve the problem, but the symptoms worsened. The production ultimately had to adjust its filming schedule. "We shot the scenes involving Miju only through that day and then stopped everything," Ahn said. "Because my face was moving with a time lag, they could only film my side profile."

Water leaking from one side of the mouth: warning signs of facial nerve damage

The condition commonly called "guanwasa" refers to facial paralysis in which one side of the face droops or the eyes and mouth become asymmetrical.

The muscles responsible for facial expressions are controlled by the facial nerve, the seventh cranial nerve. When this nerve is damaged, moving the muscles around the forehead, eyes and mouth becomes difficult.

One corner of the mouth may droop, making the face appear asymmetrical when smiling. As Ahn experienced, water can leak from one side of the mouth while brushing teeth or drinking. Food may collect on one side of the mouth while chewing, and speech can become unclear.

Difficulty fully closing the eye or forming forehead wrinkles is also common. Some patients experience excessive tearing, hypersensitivity to sound or changes in taste.

Notably, even when the face feels numb or swollen, skin sensation itself is often normal — because the nerve controlling facial muscle movement and the nerve responsible for skin sensation are separate.

Sudden facial drooping: rule out stroke first

When facial paralysis occurs, the most important step is determining whether the cause is peripheral — a problem with the facial nerve itself — or central, meaning a problem in the brain.

Bell's palsy, the most widely known form, is an acute peripheral facial nerve paralysis with no clearly identified cause. Brain conditions such as cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, however, can also cause one-sided facial paralysis.

In peripheral facial paralysis, the forehead, eye and mouth on one side typically all lose movement together. The person may struggle to form forehead wrinkles or close the eye tightly.

In some cases of central facial paralysis, forehead movement is relatively preserved while the area around the mouth droops. Even so, it is dangerous for a non-medical person to try to determine the cause from facial expressions alone.

Particularly when sudden facial drooping is accompanied by weakness or sensory abnormalities in one arm or leg, stroke should be the first possibility considered.

Slurred speech, difficulty understanding others, severe dizziness or loss of balance, double vision, or trouble swallowing are also signs that require immediate emergency care.

Steroid treatment and Bell's palsy: why early intervention matters

Ahn said she underwent several treatments after her diagnosis. "I went to both Western and traditional Korean medicine clinics, got acupuncture and received strong steroid injections," she said. "That bought me about a month."

The steroid treatment brought its own difficulties, particularly swelling. "Even after a short walk, my face and knees would be swollen, and it was hard to stay positive," she said. "I kept getting more swollen as the drama went on and finished that way. I had no choice because I had to keep filming."

Treatment for facial paralysis depends on the underlying cause. When a specific cause is identified — such as stroke, middle ear infection or trauma — treating that condition takes priority.

For Bell's palsy, where no clear cause can be found, early steroid treatment plays a key role in improving the chances of recovery. According to the KDCA's National Health Information Portal, starting treatment as quickly as possible after symptoms begin — particularly within 72 hours — is most effective.

When one side of the face suddenly stops moving, seeking medical attention early to identify the cause is far more important than waiting a few days to see whether the symptoms improve on their own.

If blisters and severe pain appear around or inside the ear alongside facial paralysis, Ramsay Hunt syndrome — in which the varicella-zoster virus attacks the facial nerve — should also be considered. In that case, treatment combining steroids with antiviral medication may be warranted.

Eye care during facial paralysis: preventing corneal damage

When facial paralysis sets in, protecting the eye is just as important as addressing movement around the mouth and jaw.

If the eyelid cannot close fully, the surface of the eye is continuously exposed to air, which can worsen dry eye significantly. Under normal circumstances, blinking spreads tears across the entire cornea to protect its surface; when paralysis reduces eyelid movement, that protective function deteriorates.

In severe cases, the cornea can develop abrasions or inflammation, making active eye protection essential throughout the recovery period.

Artificial tears or eye ointment may be needed, and if the eyelid does not close completely during sleep, a doctor can advise on appropriate protective measures. Severe redness, pain or visual disturbances in the eye also warrant an ophthalmology consultation.

Even when symptoms begin as subtly as Ahn's — just a slight awkwardness around the mouth — facial paralysis can progress. When one side of the face suddenly stops moving, the right response is not to wait and assume it is fatigue, but to first rule out emergencies such as stroke and, if peripheral facial nerve paralysis is confirmed, to begin treatment without delay.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com