Bell’s palsy is a temporary condition which causes weakening or paralysis to some muscles of the face. Bell’s palsy makes one half of the face look droopy. Usually, you cannot close the eye in the affected part of the face, and the lower eyelid can turn inside out (ectropion). This condition can cause dryness in the eyes and excess tearing in the affected eye.
Bell’s palsy occurs when the nerve controlling the facial muscles on one side of the face gets inflamed or swollen.
Symptoms of Bell’s palsy may include:
- Weakness or full paralysis on one side of the face
- Drooping of one side of the face
- Pain in or behind the ear or around the jaw in the affected side
- Heightened sensitivity to sound
- excessive tearing in the eyes or dry eyes;
- Headache or pain in the neck
- Loss of the sense of taste
The most frequent cause of Bell’s palsy is considered to be the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores. Other potential reasons for Bell’s palsy include herpes zoster virus (the virus which causes varicella and herpes zoster), the virus causing mononucleosis and cytomegalovirus.