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Bell's palsy

Alternative Names: Facial palsy Symptoms: Pain Behind ear In front of ear May precede weakness of facial muscles by 1-2 days Loss of sense of taste Sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) on the affected side Headache Face feels stiff Face feels pulled to one side Difficulty with eating and drinking Change in facial appearance Facial droop Difficulty with facial expressions, grimacing Facial paralysis of one side of the face Difficulty closing one eye Difficulty with fine facial movements Drooling due to inability to control facial muscles Dry eye secondary to being unable to close eye properly because of facial weakness Signs and tests: Examination shows upper and lower facial weakness, which is almost always isolated to one side of the face or occasionally to the forehead, eyelid, or mouth. Despite a patient reporting feeling sensory symptoms, the loss of sensation on examination is a rare and disturbing finding. Blood pressure is normal. If there are no other abnormalities on examination, no imaging studies are usually done. Text Continues Below Blood tests for sarcoidosis or Lyme disease may be considered under some circumstances. If there is no improvement in the facial paralysis after several weeks, an MRI is done to rule out other causes of the dysfunction. An EMG and nerve conduction studies may also be done to determine the severity of nerve damage.

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