Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is the same toxin that causes a type of life-threatening food poisoning called botulism.

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Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including:

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• Temporary removal of facial wrinkles

• Severe underarm sweating

• Cervical dystonia: a neurological disorder that causes severe muscle contractions in the neck and shoulders

• Blepharospasm: uncontrollable blinking

• Strabismus: deviant eyes

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Botox injections work by weakening and paralyzing certain muscles or blocking some nerves. The effects last between three or four months. Side effects may include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache, and upset stomach.

 

 

Injections in the face can also cause a temporary drooping of the eyelids.

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Botox should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.