GROSS ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -What is the facial nerve? The facial nerve is a pathway from your brain to certain muscles in your face. It controls muscles that help you make expressions like raising an eyebrow, smiling or frowning. This nerve is also responsible for most of your tongue’s taste sensations.

Detailed explanation-2: -The facial nerve is the 7th cranial nerve and carries nerve fibers that control facial movement and expression. The facial nerve also carries nerves that are involved in taste to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue and producing tears (lacrimal gland).

Detailed explanation-3: -An inability to move the muscles of the face on one or both sides is known as facial paralysis. Facial paralysis can result from nerve damage due to congenital (present at birth) conditions, trauma or disease, such as stroke, brain tumor or Bell’s palsy.

Detailed explanation-4: -Bell’s palsy is a rare condition that affects the facial nerve and muscles. It may appear after a cold sore or other viral illness such as the flu or a cold. You might notice a headache and pain, or twitching or weakness in one side of your face. Over the next 48 hours or so, one half of your face may start to droop.

Detailed explanation-5: -Experts think it’s caused by swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face. It could be caused by a reaction that occurs after a viral infection. Symptoms usually start to improve within a few weeks, with complete recovery in about six months.