Alternative Names
Facial palsy; Idiopathic peripheral facial palsy; Cranial mononeuropathy
Definition of Bell’s palsy
Bell’s palsy is a disorder of the nerve that controls movement of the muscles in the face.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Bell’s palsy affects about 30,000 – 40,000 people a year in the United States.
Symptoms
Sometimes you may have a cold shortly before the symptoms of Bell’s palsy begin.
Signs and tests
Often, Bell’s palsy can be diagnosed just by taking a health history and doing a complete physical exam.
Treatment
Often, no treatment is needed. Symptoms often begin to improve right away. However, it may take weeks or even months for the muscles to get stronger, and this may be frustrating.
Expectations (prognosis)
Most cases go away completely within a few weeks to months.
Review
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Anatomy, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. – 7/12/2010
