Table of Contents
- Overview
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Facial paralysis occurs when a person is no longer able to move some or all of the muscles on one side of the face.
Alternative Names
Paralysis of the face
Common Causes
Facial paralysis is almost always caused by:
- Damage or swelling of the facial nerve, which carries signals from the brain to the muscles of the face
- Damage to the area of the brain that sends signals to the muscles of the face
In people who are otherwise healthy, facial paralysis is often due to
Facial paralysis that is due to a brain tumor usually develops slowly and causes headaches, seizures, or hearing loss.
In newborns, facial paralysis may be caused by trauma during birth.
Other causes include:
- Tumor that presses on the facial nerve
- Infection
Lyme disease Sarcoidosis
Review Date: 02/18/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
