This may involve just a portion of the face or one entire half of the face. This type of facial paralysis tends to be most severe shortly after it begins and may show some improvement with time.Ĭhronic facial paralysis occurs over a longer period of time and typically the paralysis worsens with time. The most common reason for this is Bell’s palsy, but there numerous other causes including stroke, infection, autoimmune diseases, neurologic disorders, tumors, surgery, and trauma. Some cases are occasionally related to trauma during the birth process and may improve with time, while most others are associated with other syndromes or developmental abnormalities of the facial nerve or muscle that tend to cause permanent paralysis.Īcute facial paralysis occurs over a short period of time, usually less than three days. There are a wide variety of causes for facial paralysis that can be broadly categorized into congenital (present at birth), acute (occurring over a short period of time), or chronic (occurring over a longer period of time).Ĭongenital paralysis is present at birth and may affect one or both sides.

The nerve also connects the taste buds from the front portion of the tongue to the brain and some of the sense of feeling around the ear.įacial Muscles and Nerve Branches: Pathway of facial nerve to the muscles that move the face Causes of Facial Paralysis In addition to carrying the signal for the facial muscles to move, the facial nerve also carries the signal to the lacrimal gland near the eye to produce tears. A disruption anywhere along this connection may lead to facial paralysis. For the face to move normally there has to be an intact connection between the brain, nerve, and muscle much like a table lamp will only work if plugged into a working outlet with intact power cord and functional light bulb. There are over 40 muscles in the face that work together to create the many varied facial expressions that humans are capable of expressing. This nerve branches into multiple divisions that connect with the muscles that move the face beneath the skin. The nerve leaves the skull through an opening behind and below the ear and passes through the parotid gland (saliva gland) on the side of the face. From the brain it travels along with the hearing nerve through an opening in the skull then passes through the ear beneath the eardrum and through the mastoid bone behind the ear. The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve (CN VII) which means the nerve starts in the brain.

Baby bottom lip quiver