Bell's Palsy explained as Robert De Niro's girlfriend details health struggle

13 July 2023 , 15:46

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Bell's Palsy explainer as Robert De Niro's girlfriend Tiffany reveals battle – and why it comes on after pregnancy (Image: Steven/AFF-USA/REX/Shutterstock)

Robert De Niro's partner Tiffany Chen has revealed that she was subjected to health struggles soon after she became a mother for the first time in April 2023.

Speaking on CBS Mornings, the 45 year old explained that she was later diagnosed with Bell's Palsy after her symptoms included one half of her face falling down on itself and being unable to eat.

But what exactly is Bell's Palsy, and why does it come on after pregnancy?

Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, the condition "causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face", which in most cases is temporary and improves over a few weeks.

The weakness results in half of the face appearing to drop, with the eye on the affected struggling to close.

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Bell's Palsy explained as Robert De Niro's girlfriend details health struggle

Robert De Niro's partner Tiffany Chen revealed her battle with Bell's Palsy (George Pimentel/REX/Shutterstock)

It began when she and Robert welcomed their first child together in April 2023

Other symptoms include drooling, pain around the jaw or in or behind your ear on the affected side, loss of taste, increased sensitivity to sound on the affected side, and a change in the amount of tears and saliva the individual can produce.

In a more medical sense, Bell's Palsy is also known as acute peripheral facial Palsy of unknown cause. It can happen at any age, and while the exact cause is unknown, medical experts believe that it is caused by the swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face.

In Tiffany's case, it has been known that women are more susceptible to facial paralysis during pregnancy and shortly after childbirth.

In fact, one of the most common risk factors of Bell's Palsy is in women who are pregnant, especially during the third trimester, or who are in the first week after giving birth.

The condition "causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face" (Corbis via Getty Images)

Facial Paralysis Institute stated that pregnant women are three times more likely to experience Bell's Palsy than non-pregnant women. The most likely cause of Bell's Palsy in pregnant women is the Herpes virus (which results in cold sores) and any lingering virus after pregnancy.

It's thought that changes in the immune function may be a breeding ground for the virus to become active, leading to facial paralysis. Other factors associated may include high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

In Tiffany's case, she said in her interview during Thursday instalment of CBS Mornings: "When I went home, I started to feel like my tongue felt strange. It felt like a little tingly, just starting to get a little bit numb."

Chen said that she was unfamiliar with the feeling she was having. The only way she could describe the feeling was "weird". Though, Chen also elaborated that her face looked different to herself in the mirror.

She said: "When I got home, it was like everything was starting to just fall down on itself like my face was melting on itself."

Tiffany went on to reveal she couldn't eat, was slurring her words and "lost all facial function".