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Bell's Palsy Condition

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Bell’s Palsy is a condition that results in paralysis of one side of the face. The 7th cranial nerve, also known as the facial nerve is what controls most of the muscles of the face. This facial nerve stems from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla, and controls the muscles of facial expression. The function of the 7th cranial nerve is to express taste sensations from the tongue and oral cavity. It also supplies preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to several head and neck ganglia (citation). In the Bell’s Palsy condition, there is damage to the facial nerve that controls muscles on one side of the face which causes that side of the face to droop. Furthermore, this nerve damage may also affect the sense of taste and the production of tears and saliva. Bell’s Palsy is a condition that comes on suddenly, and it may also get better spontaneously.
One of the most distinct features of Bell’s Palsy is its unknown etiology. Previously, Bell's palsy was speculated to be the cause of other diseases, but it is not the result of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack, which are conditions that both can cause facial paralysis. The actual cause of Bell's palsy has not yet been completely determined, but according to some studies, scientists believe that Bell’s palsy is caused by a viral infection such as viral meningitis or the common cold sore virus which is caused by herpes simplex. Scientists believe that the facial nerve swells and becomes inflamed as a reaction to the

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