This is patient AM, a 28-year-old male who came to the ER because of drooping on 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 that are affected and list their actions. Describe the mechanism of his muscle weakness. What other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
Bell’s Palsy, which can occur at any age, is a condition that causes sudden weakness and paralysis in the muscles of one side of the face. Smiles become one-sided and the eye of the affected side refuses to close. With that being said, listed below are five (5) muscles affected by Bell’s Palsy.
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Frontalis: Responsible for raising the eyebrows and wrinkling the forehead.
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Orbicularis oculi: Responsible for the blinking of the eyes.
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Orbicularis oris: Responsible for closing and protruding lips, kissing motions, and mouth movements during speech.
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Buccinator: Responsible for mastication, chewing, whistling, and blowing movements.
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Platysma muscles: Responsible for frowning.
Mechanism of muscle weakness in Bell’s Palsy:
Bell’s Palsy is a disorder brought about by damage to the seventh cranial nerve, also known as the facial nerve. It is thought to result from the compression of the seventh cranial nerve at the geniculate ganglion, compromising the seventh cranial nerve and its functions. This leads to paralysis of the muscles controlled by the said affected nerve.
Some symptoms are also seen as probable to be experienced by patients with Bell’s Palsy. This includes difficulty eating and drinking, drooling, drooping of the face, problems with smiling, grimacing, and making appropriate facial expressions, and twitching of the facial muscles.