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Is It Only The Facial Muscles Affected?

• Bell's Palsy
• Bell's Palsy and Pregnancy
• Cause of Bell's Palsy
• Who gets it
• Can it Occur More than Once?
• Is Bell's Palsy permanent?
• Is it a stroke?
• Bell's Palsy Symptoms
• How severe is the paralysis?
• Is it only facial muscles?
• Why Can I Still Feel Touch?
• Bell's Palsy Treatment
• Tips for Coping With Bell's Palsy

Is It Only The Facial Muscles Which Are Affected In Bell's Palsy?

No. Other structures are affected too.

The 7th Cranial nerve (VII), the nerve affected during Bell's Palsy, supplies more than just the muscles of the face.

It also supplies the stapedius muscle which regulates the tension on the bones of the middle ear and so may affect hearing.

Also supplied by the same nerve is the anterior (back part) two thirds of the tongue thereby affecting taste.

Additionally, the 7th Cranial nerve is involved in the parasympathetic systems of salivation and lacrimation (saliva in the mouth and tear formation in the eye).