Symptom: Facial paralysis

Introduction: Facial paralysis

Facial paralysis: Paralysis of one or both sides of the face. See free access online books about Facial paralysis below. See detailed information below for a list of 58 causes of Facial paralysis, including diseases and drug side effect causes.

» Review Causes of Facial paralysis: full list

Causes of Facial paralysis:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Facial paralysis. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Bell's palsy
• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attack
• Tumor
• Facial injury (see Face symptoms)
• Poliomyelitis
• Herpes virus infection
• Guillaine Barre syndrome
• Motor neurone diseases
• Facial tumor
• Vascular accidents
• Neoplasm
• Cerebral contusion
• Degenerative cerebral disease
• Trauma
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Polyneuritis cranialis
• Polyneuritis of Guillain Barré type
• Gummatous meningitis
• Leprosy
• Uveoparotid polyneuritis
• Geniculate herpes
• Neurofibroma of the 8th cranial nerve
• Tumor of the petrous bone
• Congenital bilateral facial paralysis
• Myopathy
• Heredofamilial dystrophy
• Myotonic dystrophy
• Myathenia gravis
• Facial hemi-atrophy

See full list of 58 causes of Facial paralysis

» Review Causes of Facial paralysis: full list

Causes of Types of Facial paralysis:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Facial paralysis:

• Bell's palsy (10 causes)

More types of Facial paralysis

Facial paralysis: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Facial paralysis, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Facial paralysis: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Facial paralysis and Head symptoms (36 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Face symptoms (33 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Paralysis symptoms (33 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Nerve symptoms (26 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Sensations (23 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Eye symptoms (22 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Pain (20 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Weakness (20 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Movement symptoms (17 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Throat symptoms (15 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Muscle symptoms (15 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Mouth symptoms (13 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Vision changes (13 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Visual problems (13 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Muscle weakness (13 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Ear symptoms (12 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Behavioral symptoms (12 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Limb symptoms (12 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Mental problems (12 causes)
• Facial paralysis and Personality symptoms (12 causes)

See full list of 860 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Facial paralysis

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Paralysis symptoms (290 causes)
• Face symptoms (2766 causes)
• Head symptoms (3858 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Facial paralysis

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Facial paralysis:

• Face symptoms (2766 causes)
• Facial weakness (44 causes)
• Paralysis (290 causes)
• Expressions (51 causes)
• Smile symptoms (54 causes)
• Lack of facial expression (58 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Facial paralysis

Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Facial paralysis from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Facial paralysis. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Facial paralysis

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic tests for Facial paralysis:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Facial paralysis. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Central nervous system examination, including cranial nerves looking for signs of 7th nerve palsy which may be due to brain tumor, brain stroke, brain stem stroke, brain stem tumor, multiple sclerosis, acoustic neuroma, meningioma, chronic meningitis, Bell's palsy, fracture of petrous temporal bone, otitis media, herpes zoster infection, parotid gland tumor, parotid gland sarcoidosis
  • Look for signs of Bell's palsy (7th nerve palsy of unknown cause) e.g. unable to wrinkle forehead or close eye forcefully on affected side, unable to whistle or blow out cheeks
  • Complete examination of the ears, nose and throat looking for rupture of ear drum, ear discharge or evidence of middle ear infection
  • If 7th nerve palsy, examine for a blister-like rash on the pharynx or external ear canal that would suggest herpes zoster (shingles) infection of the nerve

See full list of 21 diagnostic tests for Facial paralysis

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Facial paralysis. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you had the facial paralysis? - to determine if acute or chronic.
• Was it a sudden or gradual onset? - e.g. if sudden onset must consider Bell's palsy, diabetic neuropathy and stroke as cause. If gradual onset must consider acoustic neuroma, advancing petrositis, brain tumor or brain abscess.
• Does the facial paralysis spare the forehead muscles? - e.g. if still able to furrow the brow and wrinkle the forehead, the cause of the facial paralysis is most likely due to a brain stroke or brain tumor.
• Is it unilateral or bilateral? - e.g. if both sides of the face are affected, this may suggest Guillain-Barre syndrome, bilateral parotid disease (such as sarcoidosis), primary muscle disease (such as Dystrophia myotonica), motor neurone disease and myasthenia gravis.
• History of head trauma? - may suggest fracture of petrous temporal bone causing a facial nerve palsy.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Facial paralysis (12 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Facial paralysis) may include:

• Paralysis or weakness of one side of the body? - If paralysis or weakness was of sudden onset consider stroke, extradural or subdural hematoma (blood clot). If weakness of body is on the opposite side to the facial paralysis consider brain stem thrombosis (clot) or hemorrhage (bleed). If the weakness of one side of the body is gradual in onset consider a brain tumor, brain abscess or brain degenerative disease.
• Ear ache or hearing loss? - should consider acoustic neuroma, petrositis, mastoiditis, herpes zoster and cholesteatoma.
• Symptoms of Bell's palsy? - e.g. marked weakness on one side of the face, mouth sags, drooling from the affected side of mouth, loss of taste on front of tongue, eye may water, pain behind the ear.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Facial paralysis (12 listings)

Stories from Users for Facial paralysis

Real-life user stories relating to Facial paralysis:

• Uncontrollable twitching and jerking
• I have a mark on my face!!!
• quater size dot on my face
• Face
• Help! inturned lashes following shingles of face
• Concious but I can't move!
• crimson face - please help
• HELP! I can't move my left hand!?
• I have a mark on my face.
• Pimples On Face
• facial paralysis- diagnosis?
• I have a mark on my face!!!
• I have a mark on my face.

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Facial paralysis or relevant symptoms:

• Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (171)
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Hand numbness
  • Purple-blue skin color
  • Need help with diagnoses
  • Anxiety and high BP
  • More user stories
• Musculoskeletal (Muscles, joints and bones) (405)
  • Joint and muscular pain after taking chantix
  • Arm pain after sneezing
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Joint swelling, stiffness, severe foot pain
  • Muscle twitches/spasms
  • More user stories
• Neurological (Nerves) (357)
  • Could this be MS?
  • Numbness and tingling all over
  • Tingling/numbness in arms/hands/legs/face/head [more symptoms]
  • Eye twitch
  • Essential tremor
  • More user stories

Videos for Facial paralysis

Patient Surveys for Facial paralysis

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Medications or substances causing Facial paralysis:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Facial paralysis as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Vesanoid
• Dofetilide
• Tikosyn

See full list of 3 medications causing Facial paralysis

Article Excerpts about Facial paralysis

Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from damage to the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Bell's Palsy Information Page: NINDS)

Definitions of Facial paralysis:

Facial paralysis: paresis or paralysis of the facial muscles, usually unilateral, due to either a lesion involving either the nucleus or the facial nerve peripheral to the nucleus (peripheral facial paralysis) or a supranuclear lesion in the cerebrum or upper brainstem (central facial paralysis); with the latter, facial weakness is usually partial and the upper portion of the face is relatively spared, because of bilateral cortical connections. SYN: facial palsy, facioplegia, fallopian neuritis.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Severe or complete loss of facial muscle motor function; this condition may result from central or peripheral lesions; damage to CNS motor pathways from the cerebral cortex to the facial nuclei in the pons leads to facial weakness that generally spares the forehead muscles; facial nerve diseases generally results in generalized hemifacial weakness; neuromuscular junction diseases and muscular diseases may also cause facial paralysis.
- (Source - CRISP)

Organs affected by Facial paralysis:

The list of organs typically affected by Facial paralysis may include, but is not limited to:

• Face
• Facial Muscles
• Facial nerves

Detailed list of causes of Facial paralysis

The list below shows some of the causes of Facial paralysis mentioned in various sources:

• Acoustic neuroma - facial paralysis
• Adenoid cystic carcinoma - facial paralysis
• Alajouanine syndrome - facial paralysis
• Alternating Hemiplegia - facial muscle paralysis
• Bell's palsy - Permanent facial paralysis

See full list of 58 causes of Facial paralysis

How Common are these Causes of Facial paralysis?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Facial paralysis. Of the 58 causes of Facial paralysis that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 1 causes are "very common" diseases
• 1 causes are "common" diseases
• 1 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 3 causes are "rare" diseases
• 8 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 47 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 58 causes of Facial paralysis

Conditions listing symptoms: Facial paralysis:

The following list of conditions have 'Facial paralysis' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Facial paralysis Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Facial paralysis based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: