Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis caused by dysfunction of the facial nerve, leading to symptoms such as facial stiffness, drooping, and difficulty with facial expressions, usually affecting one side of the face. Diagnosis is primarily through health history and physical examination, with possible imaging tests if a brain tumor is suspected. Treatment may include eye lubricants, corticosteroids, antivirals, and physiotherapy, although there is no known prevention for the condition.

1. Bell's palsy
Mr. Abhijeet M. Mahale.
Assistant Professor.

2. DEFINITION
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the
cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in the inability to control
facial muscles on the affected side

3. ETIOLOGY
 Other conditions that may cause Bell's palsy include:
 HIV infection
 Lyme disease(It is a bacterial infection you get from the
bite of an infected tick.)
 Middle ear infection
 Sarcoidosis

4. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
 Symptoms are almost always on one side of the face only. They may
range from mild to severe.
 The face will feel stiff or pulled to one side, and may look different
 Difficulty in closing one eye
 Difficulty in eating and drinking; food falls out of one side of the mouth
 Drooling due to lack of control over the muscles of the face
 Drooping of the face, such as the eyelid or corner of the mouth
 Problems in smiling or making facial expressions
 Twitching or weakness of the muscles in the face

5. Other symptoms
 Dry eye, which may lead to eye sores or infections
 Dry mouth
 Headache
 Loss of sense of taste
 Sound that is louder in one ear
 Twitching in face

6. DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES
 Bell's palsy can be diagnosed just by taking a health history and doing
a complete physical examination.
 If it is doubtful that a brain tumor is causing your symptoms, you may
need:
 CT scan of the head
 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head

7. CONTD..
 Electromyography (EMG): It is a test that checks the health of the muscles
and the nerves that control the muscles
 Nerve conduction test Nerve conduction velocity (NCV): It is a test to see
how fast electrical signals move through a nerve

8. MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
 Lubricating eye drops or eye ointments to keep the surface
of the eye moist.
 Advice to wear an eye patch while you sleep.
 Corticosteroids may reduce swelling around the facial
nerve.
 Antivirals(such as acyclovir)
 Mild analgestics to releive pain

9.  Physiotherapy can be beneficial to some individuals with Bell’s palsy as it
helps to maintain muscle tone of the affected facial muscles and stimulate
the facial nerve.

10. Complications
 Excess drying of the eye surface, leading to eye sores
or infections.

11. Prevention
 There is no known way to prevent Bell's palsy

12. ThankYou