Name 5 muscles which are affected and its actions.
1. Frontalis Muscle
Action: Raises the eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead.
2. Orbicularis Oculi Muscle
Action: Closes the eyelids (blinking) and helps protect the eye.
3. Orbicularis Oris Muscle
Action: Closes and purses the lips.
4. Zygomaticus Major
Action: Draws the angle of the mouth upward and outward (smiling)
5. Buccinator Muscle
Action: Compresses the cheeks inward, assisting in activities like blowing air and keeping food in the mouth while chewing.
Describe the mechanism of his muscle weakness.
The mechanism of his muscle weakness is thought to be due to inflammation and swelling of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) as it passes through a narrow bony canal called the temporal bone.
What other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
Other symptoms that the patient could exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness are difficulty closing the eye, altered taste, drooling, tearing, hyperacusis and loss of facial expression.
References:
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2017). Principle of Anatomy and Physiology (15th ed., pp. 341-342)
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/bells-palsy#:~:text=Bell's%20palsy%20is%20a%20neurological,one%20side%20of%20your%20face