Patient's question:
Auntie on my mother's side suddenly had facial paralysis in the spring this year, and her facial muscles couldn't move. Half of her face was swollen, and she would sometimes drool. She couldn't move half of her face when laughing, and she couldn't move half of her face when eating dinner. How could she suddenly have facial paralysis?Doctor's answer:
First, a sudden recurrence of facial paralysis needs to be differentiated between peripheral facial paralysis and central facial paralysis. Peripheral facial paralysis can affect the upper part of the face, with recurrence of the affected side's loss of forehead wrinkles and weak eyelid closure. Central facial paralysis, on the other hand, primarily affects the lower part of the face. It is recommended to consult a neurology department for follow-up. If it is peripheral facial paralysis, it is mostly caused by facial neuritis. For central facial paralysis, a detailed cranial MRI examination is necessary.