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?
A loss of taste, dry mouth, and unable to move the muscles on one side of the face such as closing the eye are symptoms of Bell's palsy. The cranial nerves affected by the aforementioned condition are the facial nerve or cranial nerve VII. Cranial nerve VII carries nerve fibers responsible for facial movement, facial expression, gustation, and tears production.