IS IT BELLS PALSY OR SOMETHING ELSE? ONE SIDED FACIAL PARALYSIS IS OFTEN BELLS PALSY BUT NOT ALWAYS

Although One Sided Facial Paralysis is Often Bells Palsy Sometimes It Isn't As This Man Learned the Hard Way

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Bells Palsy is common.The sudden problem smiling or closing an eye on one side of the face happens to an estimated 40,000 people in the U.S. annually. Dr. Bell described it in 1882 yet Bells Palsy is still somewhat mysterious. Bells can be scary but it usually has a good outcome with treatment. You need to see a doctor pronto. Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma or inflammation to one of the facial nerves. There is evidence of a virus causing Bells Palsy possible reactivated herpes.

Bells Palsy Interactive Tutorial

Symptoms of Bell's Palsy


Symptoms include:

twitching, weakness, or paralysis

drooping eyelid or corner of the mouth,drooling

dry eye or mouth, impairment of taste

excessive tearing in the eye.




You and your doctor shouldn't always assume that facial paralysis is Bell's Palsy. The newspapers carried a story about a man who had facial paralysis. He went to several doctors who thought he had garden variety Bells Palsy. When things didn't improve other doctors determined that he had a tumor pressing on a facial nerve. He needed surgery to correct the problem.

New Concepts in Bell's Palsy Improve Treatment Options