Some Causes Of Bell's Palsy
Bell's Palsy, or facial palsy, is a type of neurological disorder that is caused by some damage to the facial nerve. This condition results in a paralysis or weakness on just one side of the face. In effect, this causes some distortion on your facial features and also interferes with normal bodily functions, such as closing the mouth and eyes or even the simple act of eating.
In the United States, Bell's Palsy affects about 40,000 people every year. The onset of this medical condition is usually sudden. Plenty of people wake up in the morning to discover that one side of their face is weak or paralyzed. Many people might mistake it for a stroke but this condition is not at all related to stroke. There are some mild symptoms that include a dry eye or tingling around the lip area. But this usually quickly progresses and may reach its maximum severity within about 48 hours or so.
The diagnosis of Bell's Palsy is done through exclusion. Patients who might have Bell's Palsy may possibly have other underlying problems such as meningitis, tumor, stroke, head trauma, diabetes mellitus and also inflammatory diseases in the cranial nerves. The neurologic findings, in these particular conditions, are hardly ever restricted to the facial nerve.
Even babies could be born with some sort of facial palsy. Their condition could exhibit the same symptoms as those who have Bell's Palsy, and this is frequently due to traumatic birth that may cause irreparable impairment to the facial nerve. The definite cause of Bell's Palsy may still be unknown, but recently it has been related to both Herpes Zoster virus and Lyme's disease. When the facial nerve is involved with the Herpes virus, then there would be small blisters or vesicles in the external ear. There might also be some hearing disturbances, although these findings may be lacking. As for Lyme's disease being a cause of Bell's Palsy, this could be easily diagnosed just by looking for some Lyme-specific antibodies that could be found in the blood. It has been observed that Lyme disease might be the most common cause of Bell's Palsy in endemic areas. Other possible causes could be mumps or tuberculosis, which could cause swelling and inflammation of the particular facial nerve that causes Bell's Palsy. Also, a skull fracture, tumor or a neurological condition that is caused by a chronic disease, such as the Guillain-Barre syndrome or diabetes, could lead to Bell's Palsy too. Possible patients might have certain conditions or risk factors for Bell's Palsy, and these include stress, diabetes, pregnancy and HIV. In fact, those who are diabetic are four times more likely to be affected with Bell's Palsy compared to the general population. The other risk factors are a tumor that may cause nerve compression, traumatic head or face injury, bacterial infections (i.e. typhoid fever or Lyme disease), viruses (i.e. common cold, influenza or infectious mononucleosis) or neurological disorders. Those who have these should immediately consult a doctor.
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