What causes Bell's palsy? The exact cause is unknown. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This affects how well the nerve works.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: âWhat Is Bellâs Palsy?âWebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. A less common cause of Bell's palsy is Lyme disease. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. This nerve passes through a narrow, bony area within the skull. People with diabetes are more likely to develop Bell's palsy. This is also called the âfacial nerve.â Bellâs palsy can happen to anyone. Since this symptom may not appear immediately it is recommended to wait a day before driving or operating machinery.Doctors usually cut the dose gradually to the end of the steroid medication course.
It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. This nerve passes through a narrow, bony area within the skull.
In Bell's palsy, that nerve becomes inflamed and swollen — usually related to a viral infection. Bell's palsy is not caused by a stroke, but it can cause similar symptoms.See your doctor if you experience facial weakness or drooping to find out the underlying cause and severity of the illness.Although the exact reason Bell's palsy occurs isn't clear, it's often related to having a viral infection. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. The 7th cranial nerve suffers an injury and becomes inflamed and compressed, this weakens the facial muscles and causes temporary paralysis.
All rights reserved. Bells palsy typically occurs suddenly and without warning. Early symptoms include changed sensation in a portion of the face, pain in or around the ear, increased or decreased hearing, and impaired taste. A facial palsy is weakness or paralysis of the muscles of the face. Many people are afraid they have a stroke, but if the weakening or paralysis just affects the face, Bell’s palsy is more likely.. Every year around 1 in 5,000 people develop Bell’s palsy. This can cause damage to the nerve protection cover.If the nerve ‘s protective coverage gets damaged, the signals that travel from the brain to the muscles in the face may not be properly transmitted, leading to weakened or paralyzed facial muscles.
Drooling 4. Swelling and inflammation of the cranial nerve VII is seen in individuals with Bell’s palsy. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. If you can’t get your doctor, go to your nearest hospital’s Emergency Department.An antiviral, such as acyclovir, may be taken alongside prednisolone in some cases; however, there is weak evidence that they may help.The facial nerves control blinking, eye opening and closing, smiling, salivation, lacrimation (the production of tears), and frowning. Usually, symptoms of Bell's palsy begin gradually and peak in 48 hours. The symptoms of Bell's palsy include sudden weakness in your facial muscles. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Many that haven’t had more serious nerve damage and will require more care.Many people are making a full recovery from Bell’s palsy. ANSWER Most doctors believe it results from damage to your facial nerve, which causes swelling. The weakness makes half of your face appear to droop. Most scientists believe that reactivation of an existing (dormant) viral infection may cause the disorder. Or it might be a reaction that occurs after a viral infection.For most people, Bell's palsy is temporary. Symptoms. Bell’s Palsy is temporary in most cases, with approximately 70% of people diagnosed with the condition making a full recovery. This nerve passes through a narrow, bony area within the … Recovery from a more severe case involving total paralysis varies. What causes Bell's palsy? Changes in the amount of tears and saliva you produce In rare cases, Bell's palsy can … Introduction. However the duration of … Incidence is 11-40 per 100,000 with a lifetime risk of 1 in 60 . Signs and symptoms of Bell's palsy come on suddenly and may include: 1. Headache 7. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. Complications may include:Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. This is Bell’s palsy.This can result when the nerve is inflamed by a virus, usually the Most people will recover within 1-2 months from Bell’s palsy, especially those who still have some degree of movement in their facial muscles.A hormone treatment called prednisolone can accelerate recovery. Most doctors believe that it’s due to damage to the facial nerve, which causes swelling. This disorder is characterized by the sudden onset of facial paralysis that often affects just one side and can cause significant facial distortion. Your smile is one-sided, and your eye on that side resists closing.Bell's palsy, also known as acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause, can occur at any age. You may have excessive dryness in the eye, which can lead to … Symptoms usually start to improve within a few weeks, with complete recovery in about six months.