Why does Bell palsy only affect one side of the face?

Each side of the face has a facial nerve that controls its muscles. Bell's palsy happens when the nerve on one side doesn't work as it should. The facial nerve swells, pressing against bone. This causes weakness or temporary muscle paralysis on that side.

Does Bell's palsy only affect one side of the face?

Overview. Bell's palsy is a condition that causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. The weakness makes half of the face appear to droop.

Can Bells Palsy affect both sides of face?

Generally, Bell's palsy affects only one side of the face; however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides. Symptoms appear suddenly over a 48 - 72-hour period and generally start to improve with or without treatment after a few weeks, with recovery of some or all facial function within six months.

Can you have partial Bell's palsy?

In Bell's palsy, the facial nerve swells and the resulting inflammation disrupts the relay of nervous system messages. The paralysis can be partial or total. It is thought that the inflammation and swelling of the facial nerve is caused by some type of viral infection or autoimmune system response.

Why does Bell's palsy affect upper and lower face?

Lesions that damage the facial nerve in the brainstem, or after it exits the brainstem, result in ipsilateral facial weakness involving both the upper and lower face. It doesn't matter where the innervation is coming from; if the nerve is damaged, all the muscles on that side of the face are weak.

2-Minute Neuroscience: Bell's Palsy

What is the difference between Bell's palsy and facial palsy?

Facial paralysis can be permanent and Bell's palsy is temporary. Bell's palsy patients can regain facial function without surgical treatment and there is no permanent damage. CT scan and MRI can be done in case of facial paralysis or Bell's palsy symptoms. These tests identify the root cause of a patient's symptoms.

What can be mistaken for Bell's palsy?

Conditions that may mimic Bell's palsy include CNS neoplasms, stroke, HIV infection, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, Lyme disease, otitis media, cholesteatoma, sarcoidosis, trauma to the facial nerve, autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, and ...

Can you have a mild case of Bells Palsy?

Mild cases of Bell's palsy may not require any treatment. The symptoms may go away on their own in a few weeks and not cause any long-term problems. For more server or complicated cases, the treatment will depend on the symptoms and your overall health.

Can you get Bell's palsy twice?

It's unusual to get Bell's palsy more than once in a lifetime, but it can happen. A recurrence is most likely within two years of the first incident. The facial nerve palsy may affect the same side of your face or the opposite side. You're more at risk for a recurrence if you have a family history of the disease.

What causes Bell's palsy stress?

Medical experts believe that stress weakens the immune system and damages the seventh cranial nerve (or the facial nerve) which causes facial paralysis. The condition causes one side of your face to droop or become stiff. A Bell's Palsy patient will face trouble in smiling or closing the eye on the affected side.

Why is one side of my face droopy?

Bell's palsy is also known as “acute facial palsy of unknown cause.” It's a condition in which the muscles on one side of your face become weak or paralyzed. It affects only one side of the face at a time, causing it to droop or become stiff on that side. It's caused by some kind of trauma to the seventh cranial nerve.

Is Bell's palsy autoimmune?

Bell's palsy may be an autoimmune demyelinating cranial neuritis, and in most cases, it is a mononeuritic variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurologic disorder with recognised cell-mediated immunity against peripheral nerve myelin antigens.

What is the fastest way to get rid of Bell's palsy?

Immediate Bell's Palsy Treatment

After it's been determined that Bell's palsy is causing the facial paralysis, the doctor needs to prescribe a high dose of steroids as well as an anti-viral medication such as Valtrex.

Is Bell's palsy progressive?

General Discussion. Bell's palsy is a non-progressive neurological disorder of the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve).

Does sleep help Bell's palsy?

The 5 Musts-Do's When First Diagnosed with Bell's Palsy:

You MUST sleep for the nerve to regenerate.

What if Bell's palsy doesn't go away?

Bell's palsy usually starts to improve in 2 weeks but may take 3 to 6 months to return to normal. If there is no improvement or if any symptoms worsen, it is important to tell your healthcare provider.

Can emotional stress cause Bell's palsy?

Some people suffer from emotional breakdowns, others from illness, and others find that their bodies begin to lose proper function in certain areas. Stress induced Bell's Palsy will typically go away, and 70% of cases will achieve full recovery within weeks to months.

How do you prevent recurring Bell's palsy?

Bell's Palsy Recurrence Prevention

No one is immune to Bell's palsy. Thus, there is no solution to stop Bell's palsy or prevent it from recurring. Conversely, people who experience Bell's palsy symptoms once or several times should seek out medical treatment right away.

How do you prevent Bell's palsy from coming back?

You cannot prevent Bell's palsy

Because it's probably caused by an infection, Bell's palsy cannot usually be prevented. It may be linked to the herpes virus. You'll usually only get Bell's palsy once, but it can sometimes come back. This is more likely if you have a family history of the condition.

Should I see an ENT for Bell's palsy?

In summary, Bell's palsy does not routinely require referral to ENT surgery, particularly if the weakness is incomplete. Patients can be reassured but should be encouraged to seek follow-up if symptoms do not improve over 2–3 weeks. In cases of complete or nonidiopathic facial palsy then referral to ENT is recommended.

Are there different types of Bell palsy?

The symptoms of Bell's palsy can vary in severity, from mild weakness to total paralysis. The more inflammation and compression the facial nerve is exposed to, the more severe the paralysis tends to be, and the longer it takes for the nerve to heal and regain function.

Why does Bell's palsy cause ear pain?

General somatic afferents of facial nerve innervate skin of the concha, the posterior external ear canal and a small area behind the ear. But pain around the ear that precedes or develops at the same time as Bell's palsy frequently is beyond the territory of sensory innervations of facial nerve.

Does Bell's palsy show up on MRI?

With Bell's palsy a common MRI finding is enhancement of the labyrinthine portion of the facial nerve, where the facial canal is narrowest. The poor vascularity of this segment may pre-dispose it to ischemia and venous congestion, which may cause the high intensity enhancement pattern seen on MRI in Bell's palsy [13].

Can Bell's palsy only affect the eye?

Bell's palsy is an acute paralysis of the facial nerve that controls the muscles of the forehead, eyelid, face, and neck. People who experience Bell's palsy often head to the emergency room because they think they're having a stroke. The condition normally affects only one side of the face.

Can you be misdiagnosed with Bell's palsy?

Emergency providers have a very low rate of misdiagnosing Bell's palsy. The association between imaging use and misdiagnosis is likely confounded by patient acuity. Increasing age and diabetes are modest risk factors for misdiagnosis.