What causes facial nerve paralysis?
Disease description:
A patient from Beijing initially experienced facial numbness, which he described as facial paralysis. I would like to ask: what causes facial nerve paralysis?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Guan Yanlei
Common causes of facial paralysis include cerebrovascular diseases and herpes virus infections. Facial paralysis can be classified as central or peripheral. Central facial paralysis is commonly caused by acute cerebrovascular diseases, such as cerebral infarction, cerebral embolism, and intracerebral hemorrhage. These conditions damage the upper motor neuron pathways that control the facial nerve, leading to symptoms such as facial drooping and asymmetry. Peripheral facial paralysis is often caused by herpes virus infection. Because the herpes virus has neurotropic properties, it can damage the facial nerve, causing inflammation and edema of the nerve, which results in symptoms including mouth deviation and eye asymmetry.
