ACTIVITY 4

ACTIVITY 4

ACTIVITY 4

by Ryanne Marie Padilla -
Number of replies: 0

  1. Muscles Affected in Bell's Palsy:

    1. Frontalis:

      • Action: Elevates the eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead.

      • Effect: The patient may have difficulty raising their eyebrows or wrinkling their forehead on the affected side.

    2. Orbicularis oculi:

      • Action: Closes the eyelids.

      • Effect: The patient may experience incomplete eye closure or inability to blink on the affected side.

    3. Zygomaticus major:

      • Action: Elevates the corners of the mouth (smiling).

      • Effect: The patient may have difficulty smiling or lifting the corner of the mouth, leading to facial asymmetry.

    4. Orbicularis oris:

      • Action: Closes and protrudes the lips (kissing or puckering).

      • Effect: The patient may have drooping of the lips or difficulty forming a seal, which affects speech and may cause drooling.

    5. Buccinator:

      • Action: Compresses the cheek, assists in chewing.

      • Effect: The patient may have difficulty chewing or holding food in the mouth.

  2. Mechanism of Muscle Weakness

    • Bell's palsy occurs due to inflammation, swelling, or compression of the facial nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) as it passes through the narrow facial nerve canal (also known as the Fallopian canal) within the temporal bone. This canal is one of the narrowest in the body, making the nerve particularly susceptible to compression when inflamed. As a result, the facial nerve's ability to innervate the muscles is impaired, leading to weakness or paralysis on one side of the face.

  3. Other Possible Symptoms:

    1. Incomplete closure of the eye (lagophthalmos), leading to dry eye or irritation.

    2. Difficulty with speech, especially forming certain sounds.

    3. Drooling due to inability to control the affected side of the lips.

    4. Sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) on the affected side due to paralysis of the stapedius muscle in the ear.