What are the symptoms of facial paralysis?

Facial paralysis, also known as facial nerve palsy, is mainly characterized by dysfunction of facial muscle movement. Common symptoms include:

1. Paralysis of facial expression muscles: This is the most typical symptom of facial paralysis,表现为 the inability of the facial muscles on the affected side to perform normal expressive movements, such as frowning, closing the eyes, puffing the cheeks, or whistling. The forehead wrinkles on the affected side may disappear or become shallower, the eye fissure widens, eyelid closure is incomplete, and the white sclera may even be visible.

2. Mouth deviation: When smiling or showing teeth, the corner of the mouth significantly deviates toward the healthy side, the nasolabial fold becomes shallower or disappears, and the corner of the mouth on the affected side droops.

3. Eating difficulties: Due to incomplete closure of the lips on the affected side, food debris often remains in the space between the teeth and cheek on the affected side during eating, leading to difficulties in chewing and swallowing, and may be accompanied by drooling.

4. Lacrimal gland dysfunction: The lacrimal punctum turns outward with the lower eyelid, causing tears to be unable to drain through the normal pathways, resulting in excessive tearing.

5. Other sensory abnormalities: Some patients may also experience taste or hearing disturbances, such as loss of taste in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, pain in the mastoid region on the affected side, or reduced sensation in the auricle and external auditory canal.

If discomfort is experienced, prompt medical attention is recommended.