Bells Palsy Symptoms – Reader Comments

Bells Palsy is a condition that affects facial muscles, causing weakness or paralysis, the actual cause of which is still unknown. However, evidence suggests that the most common virus associated with Bells Palsy seems to be what is called Herpes Simplex—the virus that also causes genital herpes or cold sores.  Other viruses linked to the cause of this condition are Herpes Zoster, which causes chickenpox, and Epstein-Barr, another virus in the same family.

With Bells Palsy, the nerve that controls most muscles in the face becomes irritated.  This nerve, which passes through bone, becomes swollen. The bone therefore pinches the nerve, and this causes problems with the control of facial muscles, such as, for instance, those needed for smiling and blinking, as well as with the control of the tear and salivary glands.

One of Bells Palsy symptoms and signs is paralysis on just one side of the face, excluding, of course, facial weakness caused by other conditions such as an infection or a stroke.  If the paralysis occurs only on one side of the face, this is more likely caused by Bells Palsy than by anything else.  One will also probably experience pain in the ear on the side of the face that is affected, thereby causing sounds and noises to be heard louder on that side.  Other Bell Palsy symptoms include headache, loss of the sense of taste, difficulty in smiling, closing your eye and other facial expressions.  The quantity of tears and saliva produced by the body also changes, causing drooling or excessive tearing.

Statistics reveal that Bells Palsy can affect anyone and can happen at any age. However, it is uncommon for it to strike anyone older than sixty or younger than fifteen. It usually lasts not longer than six months, and for some people, improvement starts to show within a few weeks after its onset.