Your patient recently had a viral infection and now she cannot move the muscles on the right side of her face. In addition, she is experiencing a loss of taste and dry mouth and she cannot close her right eye. Which cranial nerves have been affected by the viral infection?
The symptoms mentioned above are the outcome of a damaged Cranial Nerve VII (Facial Nerve). Bell's palsy, which causes the facial muscles to become paralyzed, loss of taste, decreased salivation, and the inability to close one's eyelids, even when sleeping, are all symptoms of damage to the facial (VII) nerve brought on by illnesses such a bacterial infection (Lyme disease) or a viral infection (shingles).