Disease or Syndrome
Bell palsy
[ bel pawl-zee ]
Subclass of:
Herpesviridae Infections;
Facial Nerve Diseases;
Mouth Diseases
Also called:
Bell's Palsy; Facial Nerve Palsy
Definitions related to bell palsy:
-
A syndrome characterized by the acute onset of unilateral FACIAL PARALYSIS which progresses over a 2-5 day period. Weakness of the orbicularis oculi muscle and resulting incomplete eye closure may be associated with corneal injury. Pain behind the ear often precedes the onset of paralysis. This condition may be associated with HERPESVIRUS 1, HUMAN infection of the facial nerve. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1376)NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
-
(bell's palsy) Bell's palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis. It usually affects just one side of the face. Symptoms appear suddenly and are at their worst about 48 hours after they start. They can range from mild to severe and include Twitching; Weakness; Paralysis; Drooping eyelid or corner of mouth; Drooling; Dry eye or mouth; Excessive tearing in the eye; Impaired ability to taste. Scientists think that a viral infection makes the facial nerve swell or become inflamed. You are most likely to get Bell's palsy if you are pregnant, diabetic or sick with a cold or flu. Three out of four patients improve without treatment. With or without treatment, most people begin to get better within 2 weeks and recover completely within 3 to 6 months. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
-
(facial palsy) Facial nerve palsy is a dysfunction of cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in inability to control facial muscles on the affected side with weakness of the muscles of facial expression and eye closure. This can either be present in unilateral or bilateral form.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
-
Bell palsy (a type of facial nerve palsy) is sudden weakness or paralysis of muscles on one side of the face due to malfunction of the 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve). This nerve moves the facial muscles, stimulates the salivary and tear glands, enables the front two thirds of the tongue to detect tastes, and controls a muscle involved...Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
-
Bell palsy, also termed idiopathic facial paralysis (IFP), is the most common cause of unilateral facial paralysis and the most common cause of facial paralysis worldwide. It is one of the most common neurologic disorders of the cranial nerves (see the image below).WebMD, 2019
-
The symptoms of Bell's palsy include sudden weakness in your facial muscles. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. The weakness makes half of your face appear to droop. Your smile is one-sided, and your eye on that side resists closing.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
-
Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis which results from damage or trauma to one of the facial nerves. This disorder is characterized by the sudden onset of facial paralysis that often affects just one side and can cause significant facial distortion. Symptoms vary, but may include twitching, weakness, drooping eyelid or...National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
-
Bell palsy is an acute unilateral peripheral facial nerve palsy in patients for whom physical examination and history are otherwise unremarkable, consisting of deficits affecting all facial zones equally that fully evolve within 72 hours. To date, it remains a clinical diagnosis of exclusion. Complete recovery to normal facial function...Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> B
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.