Name 5 muscles which are affected and lists its actions:
(1) frontal belly - draws scalp anteriorly, raises eyebrows,
and wrinkles skin of forehead horizontally as in look of surprise
(2) orbicularis oculi
- muscle located in the eyelids responsible for eye closure
(3) orbicularis oris
- responsible for closure and puckering the lips
(4) depressor anguli oris - allows a person to move the corners of their mouth, specifically downward.
(5) platysma - depresses mandible, and inferiorly and posteriorly draws the outer part of the lower lip
Describe the weakness of his muscle weakness:
Bell's palsy is a disorder of the 7th cranial nerve that controls movement of the muscles in the face; namely, frontalis, orbicularis oculi, buccinator, orbicularis oris, platysma, posterior, belly of the digastric, and stapedius muscle. Causing damage to the mentioned nerve would cause weakness or paralysis of these muscle.
What are other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
aside from difficulty in speaking:
- difficulty in eating/swallowing
- difficulty closing an eyelid, causes eye dryness
- difficulty making facial expressions
References:
Bell’s Palsy. (n.d.). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/bells-palsy
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2017). Principles of anatomy and physiology (15th ed.). Wiley Custom Learning Solutions. https://handoutset.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Principles-of-anatomy-and-physiology-Wiley-2017-Derrickson-Bryan-H._-Tortora-Gerard-J..pdf
What is Bell’s Palsy? (n.d.). Penn Medicine. Retrieved September 8, 2023, from https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/bells-palsy#:~:text=Bell%20palsy%20is%20a%20disorder,or%20paralysis%20of%20these%20muscles.