TANILON, Pauline Joy B.
ACTIVITY 4
This is patient AM, 28-year-old male who came in the ER because of drooping of his left face. He said he woke up and he could not move his left face.
He has no other muscle weakness. He is conscious and coherent although he had a little difficulty speaking because the left side of his lips drooped. He had normal blood pressure and he had no other co-morbidities. He was diagnosed to have Bell’s palsy. Name 5 muscles which are affected and list its actions. Describe the mechanism of his muscle weakness. What other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
MUSCLES AFFECTED BY BELL’S PALSY
1) Orbicularis oculi – enables the eye (eyelids) to close
2) Mentalis – elevates and protrudes lower lip and lifts the skin of the chin up, as in pouting.
3) Zygomaticus major – draws angle of mouth superiorly and laterally, as in smiling.
4) Zygomaticus minor – raises (elevates) top lip, revealing the maxillary (upper) teeth.
5) Buccinator – presses the cheeks against the teeth and lips while whistling, blowing, or sucking. It also pulls the corner of the mouth laterally and helps with mastication (chewing) by keeping food in between the teeth (and not between teeth and cheeks).
MECHANISM OF BELL’S PALSY
Bell's palsy, commonly referred to as facial paralysis, is a unilateral paralysis of the facial expressive muscles. It is brought on by damage to or infection of the facial (VII) nerve. In severe situations, the paralysis makes the entire side of the face droop. The person may have one-sided smiles and have difficulty in closing the eye on the affected side.
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Bell's palsy symptoms resemble those of a stroke. When one has Bell's palsy, they are unable to purse their lips, wrinkle their brow, or close one eye. Drooling and swallowing issues also happen. In addition, the affected side of the person may experience pain in or around the jaw, in or behind the ear, headache, loss of taste, and changes in the amount of saliva and tears the person generates.
References:
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Bell’s palsy - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic; https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bells-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370028
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2014). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (14th ed.). Wiley.