Causes and treatments of Bell's palsy

Many people don't know much about Bell's palsy. In fact, Bell's palsy is also known as facial paralysis. Some deformities appear on the face, such as crooked mouth, triceps fasciitis, etc., mostly due to impaired facial expression function. This is a common disease and a frequently occurring disease in certain age groups. There are many reasons for this, including cerebrovascular disease, brain trauma, inflammation, etc. For patients, in addition to improving the body's immunity and maintaining a good attitude, the most important thing is to go to the hospital for treatment.

Causes

There are many causes of facial neuritis. Clinically, it can be divided into central facial neuritis and peripheral facial neuritis according to the site of damage. The lesions of central facial neuritis are located in the corticobulbar tract between the facial nerve nucleus and the cerebral cortex, and are usually caused by cerebrovascular disease, intracranial tumors, brain trauma, inflammation, etc. Peripheral facial neuritis lesions occur in the facial nerve nucleus and facial nerve.

The common causes of peripheral facial neuritis are: ① infectious lesions, mostly caused by the activation of viruses lurking in the sensory ganglia of the facial nerve; ② ear diseases, such as otitis media; ③ autoimmune reactions; ④ tumors; ⑤ neurogenic; ⑥ trauma; ⑦ poisoning, such as alcohol poisoning, long-term exposure to toxic substances; ⑧ metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiency; ⑨ vascular insufficiency; ⑩ congenital facial nerve nuclear dysplasia.

Clinical manifestations

The symptoms are often paralysis of the facial expression muscles on the affected side, disappearance of forehead wrinkles, widening of palpebral fissure, flattening of nasolabial groove, and drooping corners of the mouth. When smiling or showing teeth, the drooping corners of the mouth and facial crookedness are more obvious. The affected side should not frown, knit brows, close eyes, puff out air, or purse lips. When puffing out cheeks and whistling, air leaks out because the lips on the affected side cannot close. When eating, food residues often remain in the buccal space on the affected side, and saliva often flows down from that side. Because the lacrimal points are everted with the lower eyelid, the tears cannot be drained normally and overflow.

Most facial paralysis caused by facial neuritis is unilateral, and is more common on the right side. Most patients often suddenly find that one side of the cheek has difficulty moving and the corner of the mouth is crooked when washing their face or rinsing their mouth in the early morning. Some patients may have taste disorders in the front 2/3 of the tongue, hearing hypersensitivity, etc.

Peripheral facial neuritis caused by trauma can be divided into two types: early-onset (facial paralysis occurs immediately after injury) and delayed-onset (facial paralysis occurs 5 to 7 days after injury). Based on the early or late occurrence and degree of facial paralysis after injury, electrical excitation and electromyography examinations can be used to evaluate the extent of facial nerve damage and determine the prognosis.