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Facial palsy, also called Bell\u2019s palsy is a paralysis or weakness on one side of the face that tends to occur suddenly. It is a temporary weakness of the facial muscles that makes half of the face to appear droopy and it can occur at any age. The weakness may also affect tear and saliva production, as well as the sense of taste.<\/p>\n
Another name for facial palsy is Acute Peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is believed to occur when the nerve that controls the facial muscle becomes swollen, inflamed, or compressed.<\/p>\n
The facial nerve is responsible for controlling majority of the facial muscles and parts of the ear. The facial nerve passes through a gap of bone from the brain to the face. If this facial nerve becomes inflamed it may pinch in the narrow gap or press against the cheek bone resulting in the damage of the protective covering of the nerve. This prohibits proper transmission of signals that travel from the brain to the facial muscles leading to paralysis or weakening of the facial muscles.<\/p>\n
What causes this damage is unknown, but it is believed to be most likely triggered by a viral infection.<\/p>\n
The viruses that have been linked to facial palsy include viruses that cause:<\/p>\n
The symptoms of facial palsy tend to appear suddenly and you may notice them when you wake up in the morning. The symptoms include:<\/p>\n
You are a higher risk of developing facial palsy if you:<\/p>\n
Diagnosing facial palsy will start by your physician asking about your symptoms including when you started noticing them. He\/she will then perform a physical examination which will include asking you to move your facial muscles by lifting your brows, closing your eyes, frowning, smiling, and many others.<\/p>\n
A variety of tests will then be done to diagnose facial palsy including blood tests to check for viral or bacterial infection. If the cause of the symptoms are not clear, other imaging tests may be done which include:<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no specific treatment for facial palsy as most individuals recover without any treatment. However, it may take several weeks or months for the facial muscles to fully regain their strength. Your physician may recommend one of the following treatments to help with your recovery:<\/p>\n
Reconstructive surgery at Kings College Hospital Dubai focuses on the safety and care of every patient in a compassionate environment with state-of-the-art facilities. To book an online or in-person consultation and a detailed evaluation by one of our world class plastic and reconstructive surgeons in Dubai, get in touch using the contact details given, and our patient-care staff will book an appointment for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":4910,"menu_order":215,"template":"","service-category":[],"class_list":["post-5010","service","type-service","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t