- Name 5 muscles which are affected and list its actions.
- Orbicularis oculi: closes eye
- Buccinator: presses cheeks against teeth and lips, as in whistling, blowing, and sucking; draws corner of mouth laterally; and assist in mastication (chewing) by keeping food between the teeth (and not between teeth and cheeks)
- Orbicularis oris: closes and protrudes lips, as in kissing; compresses lips against teeth; and shapes lips during speech
- Risorius: draws angle of mouth laterally, as in grimacing
- Mentalis: elevates and protrudes lower lip and pulls skin chin up, as in pouting
- Describe the mechanism of his muscle weakness.
- Bell’s palsy occurs when there is a damage or disease of the facial (VII) nerve. The cause of the muscle weakness is due to inflammation of the facial nerve may be because of an ear infection, an ear surgery that damages the facial nerve, or infection by the herpes simplex virus.
- What other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
- Facial pain or abnormal sensations
- Excessive tearing in one eye
- Loss of sense of taste on the front two-thirds of the tongue
- Difficulty in speech and in intake of food or liquids
- Hypersensitivity to sound in the affected ear (hyperacusis)
References:
Bell’s Palsy | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.). Www.ninds.nih.gov. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/bells-palsy
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2019). Bell’s Palsy. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/bells-palsy
Loukas, M. (2014). The neurologist’s dilemma: A comprehensive clinical review of Bell’s palsy, with emphasis on current management trends. Medical Science Monitor, 20, 83–90. https://doi.org/10.12659/msm.889876