Synonym: peripheral facial paresis
Complaints
There is a weakness of the facial musculature, which is mainly noticeable by a drooping corner of the mouth. The eyelids are usually also affected and the eye often cannot be closed completely. The eyebrow can also often no longer be fully raised. Usually only one half of the face is affected; bilateral paralysis occurs, for example, in neuroborreliosis, but is rare.
Complaints/Symptoms
Causes
The cause of isolated facial paralysis is usually a harmless inflammation of the facial nerve involved, for example, due to a simple viral infection. In rarer cases, this facial paralysis also reflects a more serious problem, such as a fracture of the temporal bones or the base of the skull, or a tumor in the head area.
Treatment/progression
In the early stages, treatment with cortisone tablets may be helpful. This is done in consultation with your neurologist. The facial paralysis in these cases is comparatively harmless, but very annoying. It very often recedes completely, but in severe cases this can take several weeks. Especially in cases of incomplete eye closure, care must be taken to prevent the cornea from drying out (eye ointments, watch glass bandages). Physiotherapeutically supported exercises can keep the musculature going. Electric treatment may be associated with long-term side effects and should therefore be rejected.