Facial muscles spasm

[Rcintron]

In my country, most people (specially older ones) have the belief that if you open a refrigerator after taking a hot shower (or ironing) will give you facial muscle spasms, or even facial paralysis. They will avoid opening refrigerators, even if their life depended on it, if they were just ironing. Could an abrupt change in temperature cause these muscle spasms?

 

[Psi Baba]

It sounds like you're talking about Bell's Palsy. These sites
http://www.bellspalsy.com/
http://www.bellspalsy.ws/
makes no mention extreme temperature changes as a possible cause. Other wives' tales include going to bed with a wet head.

 

[RecoveringYuppy]

Hot tubs and skiing wouldn't mix if this were true.

 

[El Greco]

Never heard of that. BTW, I have the habit of going from very hot to very cold water everytime I shower.

 

[RecoveringYuppy]

Reminds me that I have a similar habit of taking a hot shower and then immediately washing my face in cold water.

 

[Phil]

In my country, most people (specially older ones) have the belief that if you open a refrigerator after taking a hot shower (or ironing) will give you facial muscle spasms, . . .

I have severe facial muscle spasms when I open the refrigerator and realize I'm out of beer.

 

[Iamme]

Never heard of that. BTW, I have the habit of going from very hot to very cold water everytime I shower.

Why? Does your wife decide to do the dishes with hot water when you are in the shower? Or is it that you only have a 30 gal. w/h? Or, you stand in the shower for 20 minutes?

 

[Iamme]

What is a muscle 'spasm' as opposed to a muscle 'twitch'?

 

[Soapy Sam]

I'd say "spasm" implies that one muscle of the group involved remains contracted for some time, whereas a "twitch" is just a brief, involuntary movement.

Any anatomists here?

 

[Modified]

I'd say "spasm" implies that one muscle of the group involved remains contracted for some time, whereas a "twitch" is just a brief, involuntary movement.

That is the common usage, though technically 'spasm' is the generic term for any involuntary muscle contraction.

 

[Iamme]

I had a leg spasm once because the neighborhood bully pushed me off my bike onto the gravel and I landed on my leg. It stiffened up and I could not move it. At the hospital, the doctor jumped on my leg. I almost went through the roof, but I was instantly fixed.

 

[Modified]

In my country, most people (specially older ones) have the belief that if you open a refrigerator after taking a hot shower (or ironing) will give you facial muscle spasms, or even facial paralysis. They will avoid opening refrigerators, even if their life depended on it, if they were just ironing. Could an abrupt change in temperature cause these muscle spasms?

I'm guessing this is a warm country, otherwise people would already be used to even more rapid and extreme temperature change when going outside in winter, and well aware that it does not cause spasms.

 

[Rcintron]

I'm guessing this is a warm country, otherwise people would already be used to even more rapid and extreme temperature change when going outside in winter, and well aware that it does not cause spasms.

Yes, I live in the Dominican republic. We have basically the same temperature all year long (26-30 C), so the only extreme temperature changes we encounter are when taking a hot shower and then opening a fridge, or entering into an air conditioned room . I always thought this was kinf of silly and never paid attention to it, but my mother won't go near a refrigerator after a hot shower.

 

[Rcintron]

I have severe facial muscle spasms when I open the refrigerator and realize I'm out of beer.

If that happens to me, I get catatonic!

 

[goak69]

I tried on several occasions to convince my employer that going from a warm bed to sub-zero degrees in the winter (I'm from Sweden BTW) made me spasm so hard that I had to stay at home.

For some obscure reason that never seemed to work.......

 

[goak69]

In my country, most people (specially older ones) have the belief that if you open a refrigerator after taking a hot shower (or ironing) will give you facial muscle spasms, or even facial paralysis. They will avoid opening refrigerators, even if their life depended on it, if they were just ironing. Could an abrupt change in temperature cause these muscle spasms?

I know a couple of overweight people that would be better of believing this (at least if they where constantly ironing)...

 

[casebro]

I'll add to the myth:

Dumping a bucket of ice water on the head of somebody that is very hot and sweaty will cause brain damage- a stroke?

 

[Iamme]

I'll add to the myth:

Dumping a bucket of ice water on the head of somebody that is very hot and sweaty will cause brain damage- a stroke?

Are you so sure that is a myth, 100% of the time? That nobody has died from having that shock to their system? I bet this has indsced a heart attack. And it wouldn't be a stretch to think then that soemone could possibly get a heart attack of the brain (a stroke) from this.

 

[baron]

I suspect it could bring about an attack of neuralgia, possibly, in a susceptible person.

As an aside, I read that facial pain from [SIZE=-1]trigeminal [/SIZE]neuralgia is the worst pain a human can experience, so bad that a significant number of sufferers kill themselves rather than endure it.

 

[El Greco]

Why? Does your wife decide to do the dishes with hot water when you are in the shower? Or is it that you only have a 30 gal. w/h? Or, you stand in the shower for 20 minutes?

1. Because alternating cold/hot is good for muscle, tendon and ligament recvery.
2. Because this way I don't feel cold when I get out of the shower
3. Because I want to be conditioned for the few times I go swimming in the winter.