What is facial palsy?

  Facial palsy is an unfamiliar word to the general public, but in fact, it often occurs all around us. Facial palsy is short for facial nerve paralysis, and there are two types of facial palsy: peripheral and central. The incidence of peripheral facial palsy is very high, and what is commonly referred to as facial palsy refers to peripheral facial palsy, while the most common one is facial neuritis or Bell’s palsy.  When facial palsy occurs, the patient will have asymmetry on both sides of the face, loss of facial expressions on the affected side, inability to frown, inability to close the eyes, flaccidity of the cheek muscles when the affected side shuts up, drooping of the corners of the mouth and skewing to the healthy side, water flowing out from the corners of the mouth when drinking or gargling, inability to blow or puff the cheeks, and slurred spitting when pronouncing lip and tooth sounds. Many patients will have varying degrees of pain and pressure in the posterior part of the earlobe on the affected side, some patients will have herpes in the auricle and external ear canal, and serious patients will also have tinnitus and vertigo, which seriously affects one’s work and life.