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Bristol Palin has provided an update on her ongoing health battle.
During an Instagram Q&A session, Palin answered specific questions about her struggle with facial paralysis and the symptoms she experienced before the weakness in her facial muscles.
“I woke up one day and my face was completely paralyzed out of nowhere – no warning, no sickness, no recent vaccinations, no recent Botox … just paralyzed,” she explained in response to a question about her symptoms.
She shared this information over a video demonstrating the difference between the left and right sides of her face, with a timestamp of January 20, 2025.
BRANDI GLANVILLE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL WHILE BATTLING MYSTERY ILLNESS THAT LEFT HER FACE DISFIGURED
Bristol Palin shared an update on her facial paralysis with her followers. (Bristol Palin/Instagram; Getty Images)
The former reality TV star was also asked how she is coping emotionally with the diagnosis. She mentioned that she believes she is “handling it well,” but admitted, “I can’t look at pictures of myself right now.” Palin added that her paralysis has improved to “about 70% back to normal.”
Concerns were raised by fans about the possibility of the paralysis being permanent. Palin responded that while there is a chance, she doesn’t think it will be.
Bristol Palin shared what symptoms she felt before experiencing facial paralysis. (Bristol Palin/Instagram)
Palin shared she is about 70% back to normal. (Bristol Palin Instagram)
“It is slowly getting better,” she mentioned in her response. “My doctor believes it will be another 3 months before I’m hopefully back to normal.”
Palin first revealed her sudden facial paralysis on her Instagram stories in January. She recalled waking up one morning “with a strange sensation in my face,” and within hours, “the entire left side of my face was numb and paralyzed.”
Palin shared her doctors believe she will be back to normal in about three months. (Bristol Palin Instagram)
After consulting a doctor and undergoing various tests, no definitive results were obtained. She was prescribed steroids and other medications at the time. One potential cause suggested by doctors was Bell’s palsy, which could have been triggered by stress or lack of sleep.
Bell’s palsy is a condition that leads to sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face, as per the Mayo Clinic. The weakness is usually temporary, and the exact cause remains unknown.
A few months after sharing her struggles with facial paralysis, Palin announced on social media in April 2025 that she had reached one year of sobriety.
“365 days without alcohol.. *which may sound dramatic because I’ve never been a heavy drinker,” she wrote on her Instagram story, according to the Daily Mail.
Palin shared she was one year sober a few months after revealing she was suffering from facial paralysis. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
“But this year of having a completely sober mind has allowed me to reevaluate a lot,” she continued. “I don’t want to alter my state of mind, and don’t want to ‘take the edge off’ of anything. I highly recommend it.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this article.
