Can't blink

Introduction Facial nerve paralysis is the seventh pair of twelve pairs of cranial nerves. The main symptoms of facial nerve paralysis are mouth sputum, eyelids can not be closed, can not blink, tears, taste disturbance, food has a sense of stagnation in the mouth, drinking water will flow When you come out, others seem to have an impression of squatting and squinting, which has a lot of influence on the patient's body and mind. The most obvious symptom is the ability to lose expression on the half of the paralyzed face. The wrinkles next to the forehead and mouth will disappear and look like a "poker face." Other symptoms include pain near the ear, numbness, slurred speech, loss of taste, drooling and eyelids. Because the patient can't blink his eyes, his eyes can't be closed when he sleeps at night, so he often has sequelae because his eyes are dry.

Cause

The facial nerve controls the facial expression movement. If the facial nerve is destroyed due to infection, trauma, tumor and other factors, it will lead to facial nerve paralysis. Although the cause is many, the vast majority are caused by viral infections.

an examination

Related inspection

Eyelid examination, ophthalmologic examination, eye function examination, external examination, cranial nerve examination

The most obvious symptom is the ability to lose expression on the half of the paralyzed face. The wrinkles next to the forehead and mouth will disappear and look like a "poker face." Other symptoms include pain near the ear, numbness, slurred speech, loss of taste, drooling and eyelids. Because the patient can't blink his eyes, his eyes can't be closed when he sleeps at night, so he often has sequelae because his eyes are dry. The rehabilitation doctor can make a correct diagnosis based on the patient's narrative and simple physical examination. If it does not improve after a few weeks, the physician will arrange an electromyogram to confirm the nerve injury and recovery. If necessary, the physician will also arrange X-ray or MRI to determine the cause.

Differential diagnosis

The central facial nerve paralysis does not appear paralyzed on the upper part of the face. Therefore, closed eyes, raised eyebrows, and frowns are normal. The forehead and the contralateral depth are equal, and the eyebrow height and the splitting size are the same as the contralateral side. Often according to this point and the differentiation of peripheral nerve paralysis. The identification of central and peripheral facial paralysis is obvious at a glance, and the extremely light one is difficult to identify. It can be identified by the following aspects: one relies on expression movements, the central ones do not show convulsions when they cry and laugh, the surrounding ones are more obvious, the second is by palmar reflexes, the central ones are squatting or hyperthyroidism, and the surrounding sputum is absent or weakened. However, this method is not reliable, and the third is to determine the most reliable by linking other signs.

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