How Twitter Saved a Man's Face

When 26-year-old Patrick Johnson woke up to discover that half his face had gone numb and was drooping did he a) immediately go to the hospital b) call his doctor or c) tweet about it?

Patrick noticed his face was drooping when he looked in the mirror at his home in Redruth, Cornwall, on Tuesday.
He then tweeted to his 347 followers: ”I feel like I’ve had a stroke. Half of my face doesn’t work properly.”
Marj then replied: ”If you are truly serious, get to the doc – Bells palsy facial symptoms mimic a stroke.”

http://swns.com/twitter-diagnosis-saves-man-from-paralysis-081439.html | Patrick's blog post | Patrick's Twitter account | Marj Beatty's Twitter account - via Arbroath

Twitter. Eh.

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I personally dislike Twitter (I just don't see any point in using it), but it's nice to see something beneficial coming out of it's use.

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Or, he could have called 911.

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How was twitter instrumental in saving this man's face, again?

Did he not know that he might have a medical issue until he got that message?

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I guess I am smart enough without twitter to figure out that if my face is paralyzed to go to the hospital. I can't believe he posted all that crap before seeking medical attention.

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Sorry, but Bell's palsy isn't a medical emergency. There really aren't any effective treatments (acyclovir can be given, but hasn't been shown clinically to speed or improve outcomes). That said, weakness on one side of your face (or body) can be a sign of a stroke, which *is* a medical emergency. I won't be getting my medical advice via twitter though.

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Get the hell off twitter and call 911!! Good God.

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sounds like all he wanted was attention. What's next, chest pains for twitter?

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Who would think to tweet if half your face is paralyzed? I don't see the relevance of this article. Call 911...

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Just proving my theory that many Twits are slack-jawed yokels.

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I think the point seems to be missed with Americans. Thanks for all the comments though. Makes it all worth while.

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Treatment how? I had Bells Palsy two years ago and was told there was no real treatment. I had a series of acupuncture sessions, but mostly I just tried to keep the other side of my face relaxed so it would not be too distorted. It was dreadful, but fortunately the nerve covering healed and my face returned to normal in about 5 weeks.

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