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Minnesota Bell’s Palsy Attorney
Paralysis to the seventh cranial nerve, also known as the fancial nerve, is called Bell’s Palsy. When the head or neck sustains an injury, it can cause the seventh cranial nerve to swell. While Bell’s Palsy is typically a temporary form of paralysis, it can lead to permanent damage if the nerve is killed.
6,000-7,000 nerve fibers make up the facial nerve and conduct electrical signals from the brain to the facial muscles which control contraction. While nerves can regenerate, if the facial nerve dies, regeneration cannot occur because there is nothing to reconnect the nerve fibers to the same muscle. Synkinesis can occur when nerve fibers implant into the wrong facial muscles.
In synkinesis, the wrong part of the face will respond when the muscle sends a signal because the nerve fiber is connected to a different part of the face. For example, your eyebrow may raise when you try closing your eye. This is a frustrating, debilitating and dangerous condition because the eye can suffer significant damage if it is not protected by the eyelid.
Symptoms of Bell’s Palsy
Cases of Bell’s Palsy can show any of the following symptoms:
- Mouth-related symptoms: difficulty eating, drinking and swallowing; mouth drooping to one side; impaired or loss of taste; difficulty speaking; asymmetrical smile
- Eye-related symptoms: eyelid drooping; excessive tears; inability to close eye completely; cannot produce tears; sensitivity to light
- Ear-related symptoms: pain in or near ear; sensitive to sound; balance issues
- Nasal-related symptoms: sinus problems; constant stuffy or runny nose
- General symptoms: muscle weakness or paralysis; facial swelling; headaches; overall droopy appearance; neck pain; memory problems; facial spasms; forehead wrinkles disappear
Treatment of Bell’s Palsy is usually unnecessary in incomplete paralysis cases because spontaneous recovery is common. Anti-inflammatory drugs, therapy and corticosteroids can be prescribed when the paralysis is more severe.
Contact Us
At Tarshish Cody, we understand how difficult and stressful a facial injury can be. Not only will you have medical bills to pay, but you could be forced from taking time off of work to recover from your injury. If your injury is due to another person’s negligent behavior, it is important to seek legal representation immediately because you may be entitled to compensation. Contact one of our personal injury attorneys on 612-808-8999 (or fill out the free Case Evaluation Form) to learn more about Bell’s Palsy and how we can help.