Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is sudden, usually temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face, caused by dysfunction of the nerve that controls them. It typically develops over hours to a couple of days and can affect the ability to close the eye, smile, or otherwise control facial expression on the affected side. Most cases improve substantially within weeks to months, and viral inflammation of the nerve is widely suspected as a cause, though the exact trigger in a given case is often not identified.