ACTIVITY 4
These are the 5 muscles which are affected of Bell’s palsy and its actions:
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Occipitofrontalis
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Action: Draws scalp anteriorly, raises eyebrows, and wrinkles skin of forehead horizontally as in look of surprise.
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Orbicularis oculi
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Action: closes the eyelids and assists in pumping the tears from the eye into the nasolacrimal duct system.
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Orbicularis oris
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Action: Closes and protrudes lips, as in kissing; compresses lips against teeth; and shapes lips during speech.
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Buccinator
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Action: Presses cheeks against teeth and lips, as in whistling, blowing, and sucking; draws corner of mouth laterally; and assists in mastication (chewing) by keeping food between the teeth (and not between teeth and cheeks).
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Platysma muscles
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Action: Draws outer part of lower lip inferiorly and posteriorly as in pouting; depresses mandible.
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The mechanism of his muscle weakness:
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The most probable mechanism of Bell's palsy is an inflammatory process of the facial nerve leading to its compression along this narrow segment of the fallopian canal. It is due to damage or disease of the facial (VII) nerve. Possible causes include inflammation of the facial nerve due to an ear infection, ear surgery that damages the facial nerve, or infection by the herpes simplex virus. (Tortora & Derrickson, 2017).
Other symptoms as a result of facial muscle weakness:
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Rapid onset of mild weakness to total paralysis on one side of your face — occurring within hours to days
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Facial droop and difficulty making facial expressions, such as closing your eye even during sleep or smiling
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Drooling
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Pain around the jaw or in or behind your ear on the affected side
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Increased sensitivity to sound on the affected side
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Headache
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Changes in the amount of tears and saliva you produce
References:
Mayo Clinic. (2022, May 4). Bell's Palsy - Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bells-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370028
Taylor, D. C. (2021) Bell Palsy. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1146903-overview
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2017). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. (15th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.