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Bell’s Palsy is a temporary condition that affects the nerves and muscles on one side of a persons face. It is an unexpected loss of control of movement in your face muscles. The facial muscles become weak or paralyzed causing one side of the face to droop or sag. Sir Charles Bell, for , who Bells Palsy was named after, discovered the condition in the 19th century. He was a Scottish surgeon who studied nerves and the common cause of facial paralysis. Bell’s Palsy can happen to anyone, but most likely in pregnant women, people with diabetes, and people who have some sort of virus. It affects about 1 out of every 5,000 people and 40,000 Americans per year.
There is a facial nerve that directs the muscle on each side of the face called the 7th cranial nerve. When the function of the nerve is disrupted, the messages that the brain sends to the facial muscles are not received. This is what causes the face to weaken and be paralyzed. The causes of Bell’s Palsy is not yet known, but we do know that it happens when the nerve that travels from the brain swells because of an infected virus, like herpes simplex, and the blood supply gets cut off. This causes the cells to die and the nerve can no longer carry any messages to the muscle.
There are two systems that Bell’s Palsy effects: he nervous system and the muscular system. With the 7th cranial nerve cells dying, the normal function of the nerve can not take place, which is to send nerve impulses from the brain to the muscles and glands. This effects the muscular system because now the muscles can not receive the impulses from the brain, therefore the muscle can not contract. This is what causes the face on the affected side to sag and droop. A person can also experience difficulties closing and blinking the eye. The tear and saliva glands become inactive and the eye will water uncontrollably and drooling of the mouth will take place. This also makes speaking a challenge since the affected side of the mouth...