Facial paralysis is the development of facial movement loss as a result of damage to the facial nerve fibers, which stimulate the facial mimic muscles from the brain, for various reasons. Facial paralysis can occur suddenly, or it can develop gradually over a period of time.

Facial Paralysis

What causes facial paralysis?

Facial paralysis; It may occur for different reasons such as head trauma, cerebral vascular occlusion, head and neck tumors, facial nerve injury.

The causes of facial paralysis are explained in detail below.

BELL PARALISATION

The most common cause of facial paralysis is a clinical condition called Bell's palsy. Bell's palsy is a sudden onset of facial paralysis of unknown cause that affects only the muscles on one side of the face. There is no obvious cause such as an underlying tumor or head trauma. It is thought to occur as a result of edema in the facial nerve and compression of the bone structures through which it passes. It is presumed to be related to viral infection of the facial nerve. Nearly 90% of patients with facial palsy due to Bell's palsy recover completely within about six months.

STROKE

A more serious cause of facial paralysis is stroke. It develops as a result of damage to the nerve cells that control the facial muscles in the brain due to stroke. There is no direct damage to the facial nerve in stroke-related facial paralysis. In this case, facial paralysis is caused by brain damage and the inability to transmit messages correctly to the facial nerve. Causes of damage to brain cells, depending on the type of stroke;


lack of oxygen

It can be listed as excessive pressure in the brain cells due to bleeding.

OTHER REASONS

Other causes of facial paralysis include:

Skull fracture and brain injury

facial injuries

Head or neck tumors

middle ear infection

Other damage to the ear

Lyme disease: A bacterial infectious disease transmitted to humans through tick bites

Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome. It is the repetitive activation of the varicella zoster virus, which is the causative agent of chickenpox. Facial paralysis develops if the facial nerve is damaged as a result of this disease.

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome that affect the brain and spinal cord

Surgical reasons: Injury to the facial nerve, for example, during removal of an acoustic neuroma or facial nerve tumor, or when performing surgeries on the parotid gland, which is the largest of the salivary glands.

Abnormal development of the facial nerve or facial muscles in the uterus

Congenital facial paralysis may occur due to congenital syndromes such as Moebius, Charge, or Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome.

Birth trauma: Some babies may have facial nerve injury due to the use of forceps or facial presentation during birth. As a result, temporary facial paralysis may develop. 90% of babies who develop this type of nerve injury recover completely without treatment.

What are the symptoms of facial paralysis?

There are many different symptoms of facial paralysis, and they vary from person to person, depending on the cause.

SYMPTOMS OF BELL PARALISES

Symptoms of Bell's palsy may include:

Unilateral facial paralysis

Loss of control of blinking and forehead wrinkles on the affected side

decreased tears

drooping in the mouth

Involuntary movements such as twitching in muscles

Altered sense of taste on the affected side

speech disorder

excessive saliva production

difficulty eating or drinking

Pain in or behind the ear

Pain around the jaw joint

Hypersensitivity to sounds in the ear on the affected side

Headache

The listed symptoms occur on the affected side. In rare cases, Bell's palsy can affect nerves on both sides of the face.

Symptoms of stroke-related facial paralysis

Patients with stroke-related facial palsy often show the same symptoms seen in Bell's palsy. However, there are some additional symptoms in stroke. In addition to those seen in Bell's palsy, there are the following symptoms;


Consciousness changes

Confusion

dizziness

balance problems

vision problems

epileptic seizures

Weakness in the arms or legs on one side of the body

In contrast to Bell's palsy in patients with stroke-related facial palsy, the ability to blink and crease on the affected side is preserved.

Because it is difficult to distinguish between stroke and other causes of facial paralysis, the best thing to do when symptoms of facial paralysis are noticed is to call 911 and call for emergency help.

How is facial palsy diagnosed?

For the diagnosis of facial paralysis, the doctor evaluates the muscle movements by asking the patient to make gestures such as raising eyebrows, blinking, smiling, and frowning. For differential diagnosis, electromyography (testing to check the health of the muscles and the nerves that control them), imaging scans such as MRI and CT, and blood tests may be done. With the help of tests, the cause of facial paralysis is tried to be determined.