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The symptoms of Bell's palsy include sudden weakness in your facial Mayo Clinic Marketplace
muscles. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly Check out these best-sellers and special
offers on books and newsletters from May
improves over weeks. The weakness makes half of your face appear to
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droop. Your smile is one-sided, and your eye on that side resists closing.
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Bell's palsy, also known as acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause,
can occur at any age. The exact cause is unknown. It's believed to be the
result of swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls the muscles on
one side of your face. Or it might be a reaction that occurs after a viral
infection.

For most people, Bell's palsy is temporary. Symptoms usually start to

improve within a few weeks, with complete recovery in about six months. A
small number of people continue to have some Bell's palsy symptoms for
life. Rarely, Bell's palsy can recur.

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Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Bell's palsy come on
suddenly and may include:

Rapid onset of mild weakness to total

paralysis on one side of your face —
occurring within hours to days

Facial droop and difficulty making facial Facial paralysis

expressions, such as closing your eye or
smiling

Drooling

Pain around the jaw or in or behind your ear on the affected side

Increased sensitivity to sound on the affected side

Headache

A loss of taste

Changes in the amount of tears and saliva you produce

In rare cases, Bell's palsy can affect the nerves on both sides of your face.

When to see a doctor

Seek immediate medical help if you experience any type of paralysis
because you may be having a stroke. 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.

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Causes
Although the exact reason Bell's palsy occurs isn't clear, it's often related to
having a viral infection. Viruses that have been linked to Bell's palsy include
viruses that cause:

Cold sores and genital herpes (herpes simplex)

Chickenpox and shingles (herpes zoster)

Infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr)

Cytomegalovirus infections

Respiratory illnesses (adenovirus)

German measles (rubella)

Mumps (mumps virus)

Flu (influenza B)

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (coxsackievirus)

The nerve that controls your facial muscles passes through a narrow
corridor of bone on its way to your face. In Bell's palsy, that nerve becomes
inflamed and swollen — usually related to a viral infection. Besides facial
muscles, the nerve affects tears, saliva, taste and a small bone in the middle
of your ear.

Risk factors
Bell's palsy occurs more often in people who:

Are pregnant, especially during the third trimester, or who are in the
first week after giving birth

Have an upper respiratory infection, such as the flu or a cold

 Have diabetes

Recurrent attacks of Bell's palsy are rare. But in some of these cases,
there's a family history of recurrent attacks — suggesting a possible genetic
predisposition to Bell's palsy.

Complications
A mild case of Bell's palsy normally disappears within a month. Recovery
from a more severe case involving total paralysis varies. Complications may
include:

Irreversible damage to your facial nerve.

Abnormal regrowth of nerve fibers. This may result in involuntary

contraction of certain muscles when you're trying to move others
(synkinesis) — for example, when you smile, the eye on the affected
side may close.

Partial or complete blindness of the eye that won't close due to

excessive dryness and scratching of the clear protective covering of
the eye (cornea).

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Diagnosis & treatment

April 02, 2020

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Bell's palsy
Symptoms & causes

Diagnosis & treatment

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