From the Guidelines
Bell's palsy symptoms include facial paresis or paralysis, dryness of the eye or mouth, taste disturbance or loss, hyperacusis, and sagging of the eyelid or corner of the mouth, with ipsilateral pain around the ear or face being a common presenting symptom.
Common Symptoms
- Facial paresis (incomplete ability to move the face) or paralysis (complete inability to move the face) [@\1@, @\2@]
- Dryness of the eye or mouth
- Taste disturbance or loss
- Hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound)
- Sagging of the eyelid or corner of the mouth
- Ipsilateral pain around the ear or face
Important Considerations
- The symptoms of Bell's palsy typically develop rapidly, within less than 72 hours [@\1@, @\2@]
- The condition is often self-limited, with most patients showing some recovery without intervention within 2 to 3 weeks after onset of symptoms [@\1@]
- Approximately 70% of patients with complete paralysis and 94% of patients with incomplete paralysis recover completely within 6 months [@\1@]
From the Research
Symptoms of Bell's Palsy
The symptoms of Bell's palsy, also known as idiopathic facial paralysis, include:
- Unilateral facial weakness or paralysis, which can result in the inability to close the eyelids, smile, or whistle 1
- Muscle weakness on one side of the face, with forehead involvement and no other neurologic abnormalities 2
- Abrupt onset with complete, unilateral facial weakness at 24 to 72 hours 3
- Numbness or pain around the ear 3
- Reduction in taste 3
- Hypersensitivity to sounds 3
- Incomplete eyelid closure with resultant dry eye, a common short-term complication 2
- Permanent facial weakness with muscle contractures, a less common long-term complication 2
- Mild pain, numbness, increased sensitivity to sound, and altered taste 4
Characteristics of Bell's Palsy
Bell's palsy is characterized by:
- An acute, unilateral, partial, or complete paralysis of the face (i.e., lower motor neurone pattern) 4
- Sudden onset, with symptoms typically peaking in the first week and then gradually resolving over three weeks to three months 2
- Affecting one side of the face, with no other neurologic abnormalities 2
- More common in patients with diabetes, and although it can affect persons of any age, incidence peaks in the 40s 2