ACTIVITY 4
This is patient AM, a 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 comorbidities. 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?
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Affected Muscles (facial VII nerve)
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Occipitofrontalis (Frontal belly and Occipital belly)
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Actions: Draws scalp, raises eyebrows, and wrinkles skin in forehead
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Orbicularis oris
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Actions: Closes and protrudes lips, compresses lip against teeth, shapes lips during speech.
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Zygomaticus (major and minor)
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Draws angle of mouth (for smiling), raises upper lip, exposing maxillary teeth
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Depressor labii inferioris
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Depresses lower lip
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Risorius
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Draws angle of mouth laterally (grimacing)
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Bell’s Palsy is also known as facial paralysis. Its symptoms mimic those of a stroke and is caused by inflammation of the facial VII nerve, ear infection or surgery, or by herpes simplex virus. With this, the person cannot wrinkle their forehead, close the eye, move lips, and drool on the affected area (Tortora & Derrickson, 2012).