Activity 4 - This is patient AM, 28-year-old male who came in the ER because of drooping of his left face. He said he woke up and he could not move his left face.
He has no other muscle weakness. He is conscious and coherent although he had a little difficulty speaking because the left side of his lips drooped. He had normal blood pressure and he had no other co-morbidities. He was diagnosed to have Bell’s palsy. Name 5 muscles which are affected and list its actions. Describe the mechanism of his muscle weakness. What other symptoms could the patient exhibit as a result of facial muscle weakness?
- 5 Muscles Affected by Bell's Palsy
- Buccinator - pressing of cheeks against the teeth and lips, which enables whistling, blowing and sucking; laterally drawing the corner of the mouth; assists in mastication, normally coined as chewing (that allows to keep food between the teeth)
- Occipitofrontalis - draws scalp anteriorly (forward), raises eyebrows, and wrinkles skin of forehead horizontally, as in look of surprise
- Orbicularis oris - closes and protrudes lips as in kissing, compressing of lips against the teeth; shapes the lips when speaking
- Risorius - draws angle of mouth laterally, as in grimacing
- Zygomaticus Major - draws angle of the mouth superiorly and laterally, as in smiling
- Description of the Mechanism of the patient's muscle weakness
- The nerve affected in Bell's palsy is the seventh cranial nerve which manages the facial muscle. In Bell's palsy, this specific cranial nerve is damaged which causes swelling or inflammation.
- Other symptoms as a result of facial muscle weakness:
- Dry eyes (lead to eye infections)
- Dry mouth
- Headache (if Lyme disease in an infection present)
- Loss of sense of taste
- Sound that is louder in one ear or hyperacusis
What is Bell’s Palsy? Pennmedicine.org. (n.d.). https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/bells-palsy
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2017). Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. Wiley.