BELL'S PALSY

BELL'S PALSY - Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to the facial nerves. The facial nerve-also called the 7th cranial nerve-travels through a narrow, bony canal in the skull, beneath the ear, to the muscles on each side of the face. When Bell's palsy occurs, the function of the facial nerve is disrupted, causing an interruption in the messages the brain sends to the facial muscles. This interruption results in facial weakness or paralysis.

Symptoms of Bell's palsy can vary from person to person and range in severity from mild weakness to total paralysis.  These symptoms may include twitching, weakness, or paralysis on one or rarely both sides of the face.  Other symptoms may include drooping of the eyelid and corner of the mouth, drooling, dryness of the eye or mouth, impairment of taste, and excessive tearing in one eye. Bell's palsy occurs when the nerve that controls the facial muscles is swollen, inflamed, or compressed, resulting in facial weakness or paralysis.

Signs and symptoms of Bell palsy include the following:

• Acute onset of unilateral upper and lower facial paralysis (over a 48-hr period)
• Posterior auricular pain
• Decreased tearing
• Hyperacusis
• Taste disturbances
• Otalgia
• Weakness of the facial muscle

• Poor eyelid closure
• Aching of the ear or mastoid
• Tingling or numbness of the cheek/mouth
• Epiphora
• Ocular pain
• Blurred vision
• Flattening of forehead and nasolabial fold on the side affected by palsy
• When patient raises eyebrows, palsy-affected side of forehead remains flat
• When patient smiles, face becomes distorted and lateralizes to side opposite the palsy.