Facial Symptoms
Facial Palsy
Related terms: Facial paralysis, Guanwasa (facial nerve palsy)
Facial nerve palsy is a condition where the function of the nerves that move the face is impaired, leading to weakened movement of the forehead, eye, and mouth on one side.
Meaning and Distinctions
What is facial nerve palsy?
For new facial asymmetry, it is essential to first distinguish between stroke and causes related to the ear or nerves and receive medical evaluation early on. During the subsequent recovery period, the rate of recovery for closing the eyes, eating, pronunciation, and facial expressions is tracked along with pain, fatigue, and sleep. Facial nerve palsy is a condition where the function of the nerves that move the face declines, weakening the movement of the forehead, eye, and mouth on one side.
- Easily confused terms
- Facial Spasmis different in that it involves the face pulling and moving involuntarily, rather than a loss of strength.
- Why this is checked during medical evaluation
- For new facial asymmetry, it is essential to first distinguish between stroke and causes related to the ear or nerves and receive medical evaluation early on. During the subsequent recovery period, the rate of recovery for closing the eyes, eating, pronunciation, and facial expressions is tracked along with pain, fatigue, and sleep.
- What to note down for your visit
- Please record the time of onset, evaluations from emergency, neurology, or otolaryngology (ENT), and initial treatment dates; document the progress of closing eyes, eating, pronunciation, and smiling with weekly photos or videos; and note any pain behind the ear, facial pulling, spasms, sleep, and fatigue. Please provide this information along with the dates during your medical evaluation.
Dizziness, Ear, Head, and Face Glossary
Compare similar terms here
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Check guides where this term is used
- Condition GuideFacial paralysisFacial palsy may appear as a sudden weakness in the movement of one side of the face, causing the eyebrows, eyelids, or corners of the mouth to droop, difficulty smiling or frowning, and an inability to close one eye completely. This may be accompanied by drooling, difficulty speaking, eating or drinking, decreased sense of taste, dry eyes or excessive tearing, pain behind the ear or jaw, and sensitivity to sound. However, if new facial drooping is accompanied by weakness or numbness in one arm or leg, slurred speech or difficulty understanding language, changes in vision or balance, or a sudden severe headache, it should be regarded as a stroke and 119 must be called immediately. Even if only the face appears weak, do not self-diagnose it as Bell's palsy; seek an evaluation on the same day, and if the eye does not close, begin corneal protection immediately.→
- Medical Evaluation GuideWhat should I prepare before a medical evaluation for the acute and recovery phases of facial palsy?If you have experienced a sudden loss of facial strength, the priority is not to miss the window for acute phase treatment. For subsequent evaluations, please prepare the start date, medications received, the extent to which eye closure, eating, and pronunciation have recovered, and whether other areas move simultaneously when smiling or closing your eyes, along with videos.→
- Head, Ear, and Face ColumnWhy the goals of treatment differ between the acute phase and the sequelae phase of facial nerve palsy→
Evidence and Update Information
The following materials were referenced to verify the basis and scope of the definitions and treatment descriptions.
- NINDS: Bell’s PalsyInformation on symptoms, evaluation, and recovery of peripheral facial nerve palsy