Tommye Austin, RN, PhD(c), MSN, MBA, CNAA, BC
Stroke Program Implementation Development Director
Read Blog Disclaimer
In the summer of 1996, I woke up one summer morning to find my face frozen on the left side. I was unable to close my left eye. I thought that I was having a stroke, so I pulled out my nursing books and reviewed the symptoms for a stroke…needless to say the facial drooping was not the same as what was indicated in the text. I was experiencing Bell's Palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to one of the two facial nerves. Other symptoms that I experienced with Bell’s Palsy included drooping at the corner of my mouth, pain around the jaw and behind my left ear, impaired speech, hypersensitivity to sound in my left ear, and difficulty drinking from a cup.
Bell's Palsy: Facial Droop
© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.
Diagnosing Bell’s Palsy is done by performing an electromyography (EMG) that can confirm the presence of nerve damage and determine the severity and the extent of nerve involvement. An x-ray of the skull can help rule out infection or tumor. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan can eliminate other causes of pressure on the facial nerve.
It is easy to confuse Bell’s palsy with a stroke if you don’t know the facts. Always remember that the American Stroke Association wants you to know the warning signs of stroke:
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Learn more about stroke care at Baptist Health System.