Bell's palsy

 Key Facts

Usually seen in

• Adults between 15 to 45 years of age

Gender affected

• Both men and women or slightly more common in women

Body part(s) involved

• Facial nerve of either side of the face or very rarely both sides

Prevalence

• Worldwide: 15 to 30 cases per 100,000 people (2021)

Mimicking Conditions

• Stroke
• Damage to the facial nerve due to injury to skull or face
• Ramsay hunt syndrome
• Lyme disease
• Otitis media 
• Myasthenia gravis
• Sarcoidosis 
• Guillain-Barré syndrome 
• Tumor (involving brain or parotid glands) 
• Facial nerve schwannoma
• Facial nerve venous malformation (hemangioma)

Necessary health tests/imaging

• Blood tests 
• Hearing and balance tests
• Taste and salivation tests
• Tear test 
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 
• Computerized tomography (CT scan)
• Electromyography (EMG)

Treatment

• Oral corticosteroids: Prednisolone
• Antiviral medication: Acyclovir & Valacyclovir
• Pain relieving medications: Aspirin, Paracetamol & Ibuprofen
• Botox injections
• Laser therapy
• Acupuncture