Causes of Damaged Facial Nerve

There are two main facial nerves running on each side of the head. These nerves control the muscles enabling a person to smile, frown, pucker, wrinkle the forehead and nose, control taste on the side of the tongue and control the saliva glands. Needless to say, these are very important nerves. If the facial nerves become damaged, partial or total paralysis is possible.

Where are The Facial Nerves

• The two facial nerves begin in the brain, travel through the ear canal and branch out into smaller nerves throughout the face. Each of these facial nerves and branches are all important and all play an important role. Facial nerve damage can be disfiguring depending on which facial nerves are damaged. In addition to paralysis, weakness can be present, eyes do not close properly or the mouth droops. There are several different reasons to facial nerve damage.

Causes of Damage

• The most basic reason is any swelling on the nerves themselves. This can be caused by any trauma to the head or face. But the more common trauma reasons will include birth defects, middle ear infections and a certain viral infection called Bell's Palsy. Bell's Palsy will affect only one side of the face and resembles the symptoms of a stroke and strikes approximately 40,000 Americans each year. Blows to the face and head can also lead to facial nerve damage. (see Resources section.)

Other Causes

• Other causes can be removal of tumors in the face or excised skin cancer. Sometimes, it is necessary to cut through the nerve in order to remove all of the facial skin cancer or tumors that are present.

Testing

• Physicians will perform a series of small tests initially to determine the extent of the facial nerve damage. These small tests will include a salt/sugar test on the tongue, tear duct production, saliva production and ear movement. This procedure is called a Topographic localization. A more detailed test will be an EMG as well as a CAT scan or MRI. These tests will determine how extensive the damage is.

Repairing Facial Nerve Damage

• Some facial nerve damage will eventually repair itself, but in the case of damage that does not, an Otolaryngologist can surgically repair some facial nerve damage. This may include releasing a nerve that is trapped for some reason and cannot receive the impulse signal from the brain or reconnecting a severed nerve. This is important as many facial nerve damage problems will not repair itself. (For more information, visit the Resource listed for a more complete guide to facial nerve damage.)