Bell’s palsy

Bell’s palsy is a temporary form of facial paralysis that occurs with damage to the seventh cranial nerve. This nerve controls facial movement. It is linked to inflammation of the nerve in the area where it travels through the bones of the skull. Sometimes the condition results in permanent changes. Most often, 60%-80% of cases go away completely with a few weeks to a few months. This disorder is not life threatening. Symptoms are normally sudden. The following are symptoms that may be experienced: change in facial expression, difficulty with drinking or eating, drooling, droopy eyelid, dry eye, facial paralysis, headache, loss of sense of taste, twitching in face and weakness in the face. Most of the time there is no treatment, only relieving symptoms. MRI is most often used to determine Bell’s palsy, because MRI is the only modality that can clearly demonstrate the nerves.