Treatment: Some medications like corticosteroids, and antiviral drug acyclovir is prescribed but this is not a proven effective treatment. Some patients recover spontaneously and achieve full recovery, usually within days or even hours of the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately some patients can’t fully recover and suffer from long-term paralysis of their facial muscles. For those patients who never fully recover nerve function, the best treatment is plastic surgery, to restore the normal appearance of the mouth and eyelids.
Title: Information about Bell’s Palsy
Sum.: Get some information about Bell’s Palsy, the symptoms and treatment available for it.
Article:
 
Bell's palsy is the result of a condition in which the facial muscles are weakened or partly paralyzed by damage to the facial nerves. It is named for Scottish anatomist Sir Charles Bell who was first to distinguish between motor and sensory functions of the nerves, Bell's palsy is a paralysis of the facial muscles that usually affects only one side of the face.
There are twelve cranial nerves that lead directly from the brain to various parts of the head. These nerves process hearing, assist in maintaining equilibrium, control movements of the face, throat, neck and eyes, receive sensations from the face, throat and tongue, control the nerve of smell and control the nerve of sight. Any disorder of these nerves will produce a loss of function in the area that the nerve affects. Such is the case with Bell's palsy which is caused by an abnormality of the facial nerve.
 Scientists don’t actually know the cause of Bell’s palsy but it is thought to be associated with herpes zoster or shingles, a swelling of the facial nerve as a reaction to viral infections or a lack of blood supply.
Symptoms: The condition appears suddenly most of the time but some victims may develop a pain behind the ear or weakness in the facial muscles. The symptoms cause mild to the complete paralysis of one side of the face. When this disorder occurs the symptoms may include a droop of the eyelid and corner of the mouth on one side of the face. Wrinkling the brow or closing the eye may become impossible and smiling may become distorted. If certain branches of the nerve are affected sounds may sound unnaturally loud or taste may become impaired. The side of the face that is paralyzed may become flat and expressionless. The person experiencing the symptoms will often feel as though their face is twisted. Many people experience a numbness or heavy feeling in the area that is affected even though the sensations in the face are actually normal. In very rare cases of Bell's palsy there may be interference with the production of saliva or the ability to produce tears.
Treatment of Bell's palsy may include the use of corticosteroid drugs or ACTH to reduce the inflammation of the nerve. Analgesics may be prescribed to relieve any pain in the ear. When the paralyzed muscles prevent the eye from closing completely eye drops may be prescribed to lubricate the eye and an eye patch may be prescribed for bed time to protect the eye from corneal abrasions. With severe paralysis it may be suggested to massage the facial muscles. If the paralysis persists, surgery may be needed.