• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Facial paralysis

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Paralysis of the face

Home Care:

Treatment depends on the cause. Follow your health care provider's treatment recommendations. Sometimes steroids and acyclovir may be given depending on the cause.

If the eye cannot be fully closed, the cornea must be protected from drying out with prescription eye drops or gel.

Call your health care provider if:

Call your doctor if you have weakness or numbness in your face. Seek emergency medical help if these symptoms occur along with a severe headache, seizure, or blindness .

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:

• Are both sides of the face affected?
• Have you recently been sick or injured?
• What other symptoms do you have? For example, drooling, excessive tears from one eye, headaches, seizures, vision problems , weakness , or paralysis .

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood tests, including blood sugar, CBC, ESR, Lyme test
• MRI of the head
• CT scan of the head
• Electromyography

The doctor may refer you to a physical, speech, or occupational therapist. If facial paralysis from Bell's palsy persists for more than 6 - 12 months, plastic surgery may be recommended to improve eye closure and facial appearance.

• Review Date: 3/5/2007
• Reviewed By: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.