Muscles affected in Bell’s Palsy
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Risorius - aids in smiling or making frowns
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Buccinator - maintains tightness of cheeks, pressing the cheeks against the teeth during mastication
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Orbicularis oculi - closes eyelids and aids in pumping tears from the eye to nasolacrimal duct
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Orbicularis oris - closes or purses lips
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Temporalis - aids in closing of jaw; facilitate movement of mandible for mastication
Mechanism of Bell’s Palsy
- The cause of Bell’s palsy is unexplained, but experts believe that it is due to the inflammation of the facial nerve that controls movement of the facial muscles. This causes temporary weakness or paralysis of muscles on one side of the face, not allowing the muscles to function accordingly, and making one side of the face droop.
Other symptoms as a result of facial muscle weakness
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Difficulty closing one eye
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Difficulty speaking, masticating, and consuming food
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Facial and ear pain, headaches
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Changes in amount of saliva produced; drooling
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Loss of taste
References
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Facial muscles. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21672-facial-muscles
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Bell’s Palsy. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5457-bells-palsy
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Bell’s palsy - Symptoms and causes. (2022, May 4). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bells-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370028
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Bell’s Palsy. (2023, March 8). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/bells-palsy#:~:text=about%20Bell's%20palsy-,Bell's%20palsy%20is%20an%20unexplained%20episode%20of%20facial%20muscle%20weakness,other%20conditions%20such%20as%20diabetes.