Bell's Palsy

What is Bell's Palsy?

Bell's Palsy is a form of facial paralysis.

In most cases half of your face will be unable to move

and respond to the messages your brain is sending

How does Bell's Palsy work?

Bell's Palsy is a condition that has proven difficult to pinpoint exact

details.

The general consensus between experts is that when certain nerves in

your face become swollen Bell's Palsy can occur.

When these nerves become swollen the action potential will not be

able to pass through the axon onto new dendrites thus causing a state

of paralysis.

Cause of Disease

While the exact cause of Bell's Palsy is unknown, it is thought that

certain viruses, such as those from the Herpes family, may play a role in

the swelling of the facial nerves. This is because the virus causes

infections in the face, which can cause paralysis of facial muscles.

Lyme Disease may also cause facial paralysis, and in areas where the

disease is present, it accounts for up to half of the cases of facial palsy.

Affected Areas of The Nervous

System

Bell's Palsy affects the facial nerve, due to the swelling of the nerve,

and the compression of the narrow bone canal beneath the ear.

Facial Nerve

Also known as the "Seventh Cranial Nerve", the

facial nerve controls the muscles that affect facial

expressions and taste sensations. The facial nerve

also provides fibers necessary for head ganglia and

neck ganglia.

Symptoms of Bell's Palsy

There is no symptoms of Bell's Pals before you become paralyzed. It seemingly appears out of nowhere, most commonly overnight. You will know you have it, because you won't be able to move or feel your face.

Treatment

Bell's Palsy doesn't generally require

treatment, as signs of improvement occur

after 10 days, and a full recovery can be

expected after around 3 weeks to a month.

Treatment Cont.

In some cases, Corticosteroids, such as

prednisone, are used to reduce

swelling and can greatly increase the

recovery rate. Though this is usually only

used in more severe cases.

Treatment Cont. Cont.

Though treatment usually is not required, it is recommended that

patients use eye drops or eye ointment to keep the eye on the

affected side of the face from drying out, as some patients may be

unable to blink.

Number of People Affected

Bells palsy affects

around 40,000 people

every year in the

United States, and will

affect approximately 1

in 65 people at some

point in their life.

Number of People Affected cont.

Pregnant women are around

3 times more likely to get

bell's palsy, and people with

diabetes are around 4 times

as likely, compared to the

general population.

Death Rates of Bell's Palsy

Because Bell's Palsy isn't

something that puts you

in danger or affects the

way you react to

situations, there have not

been any deaths directly

linked to the disorder.

Death Rates of Bell's Palsy cont.

There has been some

hospitalizations because

some cases cause the

patient to find everyday

tasks more difficult (such

as drinking or eating) and

they require assistance.

Future Inquiries

Some things that interest our group about this disorder, is how vague it

actually is. For example why does it happen? Even from the voice of

experts, this disorder seems to happen at random. Most disorders or

diseases have a cause and we know why they happen so why should

Bell's Palsy be any different? This question in particular caused us

challenge because finding information was quite difficult.

Future Inquiries cont.

This project was quite difficult in general. This is the case because for

many of the questions you could ask about this disorder you could

answer with the same response. And that response is "we don't know".

The fact is that no one knows much about anything when it comes to

Bell's Palsy.

Bibliography

"Bell's Palsy Causes, Symptoms, Treatments." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

"Bell's Palsy." - Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

"Bell's Palsy." - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015