Bell palsy, abrupt 

paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face due to dysfunction of

the seventh cranial nerve, the facial nerve. The disorder is named for the Scottish
surgeon Sir Charles Bell, who first described the function of the facial nerve in 1829. The
facial nerve supplies the muscles of movement and expression of the face. It also has
sensory components that supply taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and
sensation in a small area around the ear. In addition, a small nerve extends to
a muscle attached to one of the bones of the middle ear, and autonomic fibres extend to
salivary and tear glands. A person with Bell palsy may notice pain around the
ear, alterations in taste, sensitivity to sound, and inability to use the facial muscles.
There is trouble in closing the eye, wrinkling the forehead, and pulling up the corners of
the mouth. Food tends to accumulate in the affected side of the mouth. The face has an
ironed-out appearance.

No cause can be found in the majority of cases of Bell palsy, but facial paralysis may be
caused by trauma, which can injure the facial nerve where it passes through the base of
the skull; tumours (e.g., acoustic neurinomas), which may invade or compress the
nerve; and various infections, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, diphtheria, Lyme
disease, ear infections, sarcoidosis, and herpes simplex. Rarely, a flulike illness may
precede the onset of Bell palsy.

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Treatment during the acute phase is directed toward protection of the eye, since

incomplete closure of the lid may lead to irritation and inflammation of the cornea.
Eyedrops are useful, and the lid may be taped or even sutured shut until recovery is
complete. The use of steroids in the treatment of Bell palsy is still controversial. If a
herpes infection is suspected, an antiviral medication may be used. More than 80
percent of patients with Bell palsy recover completely, and others have partial recovery.
In cases where recovery is not complete, surgical decompression of the facial nerve has
been tried, though with limited success.