Bell’s Palsy is an acute facial palsy with an unknown cause. This condition causes the muscles on one side of the face to be weakened or paralyzed. The condition only impacts one side of the face, causing this side of the face to droop or become stiff.
Bell’s Palsy is caused by a trauma to the seventh cranial nerve. The condition can happen to anyone, but it is most common in those with diabetes or who are recovering from a viral infection. Symptoms are often temporary and resolve over the course of a few weeks.
The symptoms of this condition can come on suddenly. You might wake up with this condition, or it might just show up during the course of your day. Your facial paralysis or drooping could worsen after your first notice symptoms for 24 to 48 hours. The first sign of Bell’s Palsy is typically a weakness or dropping of one side of the face. You might not be able to close your eye on the affected side of the face or make facial expressions. Other symptoms of this condition are:
The cause of Bell’s Palsy is an insult or injury to the facial nerve. This causes swelling, which makes the nerve function incorrectly as it becomes pushed against the hard surface of the skull. It is thought that many cases of Bell’s Palsy are related to viral infections. There are various viruses that are linked with the development of Bell’s Palsy: Adenovirus (respiratory infection), Coxsackievirus (hand-foot-mouth disease), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr (infectious mononucleosis), Herpes-Zoster (chickenpox and shingles), Influenza B (flu), mumps, Rubella (German Measles).
The risk factors for Bell’s Palsy are:
There is no lab test that can be done for Bell’s Palsy. The physical symptoms are very recognizable, and diagnosis is often made based on a physical exam of the patient. Most doctors will ask the patient to attempt to close the eye on the affected side of the face. If you cannot close your eye, this is a key sign that you have Bell’s Palsy. You will usually also be examined to see if the eye rolls upward and outward when you try to close it.
Most doctors will use an EMG (electromyography) test to rule out other conditions that might be causing your symptoms. This test reveals actual physical nerve damage. MRI and CT scans might also be used to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms. Blood tests might be used to look for underlying problems like diabetes or infections.
Most people recover fully from Bell’s Palsy with or without treatment. Common treatment protocols are to give corticosteroids to try and ease swelling and improve nerve function more rapidly. This treatment works best if done within the first 72 hours of symptoms. Antiviral medications can sometimes be given to try and help your body fight off a viral infection and thereby resolve Bell’s Palsy symptoms more rapidly.
Massage of the facial muscles can also sometimes help to reduce the duration of Bell’s Palsy symptoms. If you cannot blink or close the eye on the affected side of your face, you will be given an eye patch to protect the eye and keep it moist until your symptoms have gone away.
Prevention of this condition is not really possible. You can contract a viral infection of various kinds and end up with Bell’s Palsy. Avoiding those who are sick with viral infections might help you to reduce your chances of getting Bell’s Palsy.