May
23
Botox injections consist of a small dose of botulinum toxin-a protein produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum-used to prevent wrinkles by paralyzing muscles of the face. Up to 2007 the number of procedures has reached 4.6 million cosmetic operations according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Common side effects of botox injections for cosmetic use are:droopy eyelids, nausea,muscle weakness, facial pain, indigestion,heartburn,tooth problems or high blood presure. If used for medical conditions botox can have the following side effects:droopy eyelids,difficulty swallowing,vertical deviation,upper respiratory infection,headache or neck pain.
Side effects are mostly minor and temporary and ca be predicted through the chemical structure and mode of action of the molecule,narrowing it down to two side effects:an allergic reaction or the paralysis of the wrong muscle. Bruising is a side effect which is not related to the toxin,it is related to the way of administration. The bruising is usually prevented by the assistant of the dermatologist by applying pressure to the area where the injection has been made,it may still occur and if so it will last about 7 to 10 days.
Advice:
- talk to your doctor about all the side effects
- ask for an ice pack for before and after the procedure
- take an over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen before the procedure because it helps with the soreness and swelling
Doing botox injections on a long term has not showed any side effects,has a great record of safety. A study made on 65 patience who received injections for 10 years has showed that the side effects were all temporary,mild and decreased after repeating the injections. Examining the eye muscle after botox has brought up the fact that the injection does not cause muscle atrophy or any other degenerative changes.
On the other had, in a study of 235 patience who have injected themselves cervical dystonia, hemifacial spasm, and blepharospasm the results have showed that there is a 75% benefit from the treatment in a period of 10 years. Only 1.3% patience have stopped doing the injections due to
intolerance to botox up till now.
All of this tells us that botox injections can’t permanently change on long term problems and also will not cause problems for a long period of time. The side effects of the procedure are usually what the therapy should cause:muscle weakneses. However,it is very important to inject the right muscle and in the appropriate dose. It is important to find a physician with experience because that way you avoid many problems.
