National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Bell's Palsy is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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National Institutes of Health
Bell's Palsy
If you have Bell's palsy, the muscles in your face become temporarily paralyzed. It usually affects just one side of the face. Symptoms appear suddenly - you can't shut your eye and your mouth droops. Symptoms are usually worst about 48 hours after they start.
Scientists think that a viral infection makes the facial nerve swell or become inflamed. You are most likely to get Bell's palsy if you are pregnant, diabetic or sick with a cold or flu.
Three in four patients improve without treatment. With or without treatment, most people begin to get better within 2 weeks and most recover completely within 3 to 6 months.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Start Here
- Bell's Palsy(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Bell's Palsy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Bell's Palsy
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Bell's Palsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Bell's Palsy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bell's Palsy (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Bell's Palsy: Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor(Harvard Medical School)
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Related Issues
- Bell's Palsy(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
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Tutorials
- Bell's Palsy(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bell Palsy(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bell Palsy
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology)
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Organizations
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Children
- Bell's Palsy(Nemours Foundation)
- Children and Facial Paralysis(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Guide to Understanding Facial Palsy(Children's Craniofacial Association) - PDF
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Teenagers
- Bell's Palsy(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Patient Handouts
- Bell's palsy
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
