Bell's Palsy is a Form of Facial Paralysis (usually temporary) Caused by Nerve Damage

Bell's Palsy is a temporary, non-contagious condition characterized by facial twitching, weakness, or partial facial paralysis. It is caused by nerve damage (trauma to CN-VII, the 7th cranial nerve) and is not actually a disease. It is named for Sir Charles Bell, a Scottish surgeon who studied the nerve and its innervation of the facial muscles about 200 years ago.

Here are some facts about it:

• Bell's palsy affects 1 out of every 5000 people, and 40,000 Americans every year.
• The quality and duration of recovery is dependent on the severity of the initial injury, ranging from very fast (days to several weeks) to "average" (several months).
• Approximately 50% of Bell's palsy patients will have essentially complete recoveries in less than a year.
• The possibility of recurrence had been thought to be as high as 10 - 20%.

For more information and a diagram of the nerves involved, visit EntNet, the website of the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS).