1. Look for Obvious Physical Changes to the Face
Facial weakness or complete paralysis on one side of the face is a hallmark of Bell's palsy. Some people literally go to sleep feeling fine and wake up with Bell's palsy. Others will witness a slightly less rapid change to the face over 24 to 36 hours. Since the condition reflects damage to cranial nerve VII, also known as the facial nerve, the symptoms are quite evident to both the person suffering the disorder and to anyone looking at him.
2. An Excessively Dry Eye Can Be a Problem
A dry eye is another common symptom of Bell's palsy and is often the one to worry about most. Bell's Palsy is primarily a temporary condition, which comes as great relief to those who experience its frightening set of symptoms. For the duration of the condition, however, it's important to manage those symptoms to avoid future problems. Since the eyelid is controlled by the facial nerve, your eyelid will not close by itself when you have Bell's palsy. This leads to an excessively dry eye, which is more vulnerable to infections or corneal injury. It's vital to keep the eye moist with artificial-tear eye drops and to protect it from the elements by wearing glasses, sunglasses or even a patch.
3. Watch for the Effects of Weakened Facial Muscles
Since the facial muscles help us keep our mouths closed, you might note drooling with Bell's palsy. And since Bell's palsy is the result of damage to the nerve, you will often notice unexpected twitching of your face even when it seems otherwise to be weak or paralyzed. Also disturbing to some of those affected is an impairment of speech, since so many of the muscles we use to help us form words are affected by the facial nerve.
4. Hear More Than You Want and Taste Less
The affected facial nerve of Bell's Palsy often causes a hypersensitivity to sound, or even ringing in the ears, as well as a partial or complete loss of taste. Eating and drinking are made even less appealing because the muscles around one side of the mouth are weakened, which makes the task difficult.
