Bell's Palsy

Bell's Palsy causes facial paralysis, usually on one side of the face or the other. This paralysis causes drooping, tearing, drooling. It's a temporary condition that can last from weeks or months, but usually a full recovery is made because the nerve regenerates itself. The onset is very quick-either a person wakes up with the paralysis, or it develops within a day or two. It is recurring in about 10% of people who experience a Bell's Palsy attack.

It's caused by inflammation around Cranial Nerve 7 (Facial nerve). Nerve 7 originates in the Pons and divides into many branches in the Parotid Gland. There's a picture below of that. When I say it's caused by inflammation, that can be caused by anything from a viral infection to brain surgery. Herpes Simplex 1 (think cold sores) is a frequent cause, although most people have been exposed to Herpes 1, but not everybody that carries Herpes 1 develops Bell's Palsy. HIV and pregnancy can also put you at higher risk for developing Bell's Palsy.

Diagnosing Bell's Palsy usually doesn't require radiologic imaging, but sometimes a doctor may order a CT or MRI to rule out other causes before determining Bell's Palsy.