The 12 cranial nerves control the muscles of the face, receive sensory input from the face, control heart rate and respiration, and transmit the special senses--vision, smell and hearing--to the brain. According to "Harrison's Principles of...
Bell's palsy comes on suddenly. It's frightening, both to you and your family members. You may simply wake up one morning and notice one side of your face drooping. You can't close one of your eyes. In fact, Bell's palsy greatly resembles a...
Affecting one or both sides of the face, Bell's palsy is a neurological disorder that affects the facial nerves. Often causing facial muscle weakness or paralysis, the condition can make talking, laughing, eating and swallowing a difficult task....
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor among children, according to the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital. Symptoms of brain tumors can vary depending on where the tumor is located, since different areas of the brain...
Cholesterol granulomas are sacs, lesions or cysts filled with fluid, fat and cholesterol. While more research is still needed to understand the exact cause, it may be that these growths form when the immune system initiates an anti-inflammatory...
Shiitake mushrooms, a traditional food also used as a medicine in Asian cultures, are the third most popular mushroom in the United States, according to ScienceDaily. The mushrooms, which grow on oak logs, are low in calories but high in minerals...
Dark corn syrup, usually found in the baking aisle of your grocery store, consists of corn syrup and molasses. It finds use in baked goods, and lends flavor to barbecue sauces and baked beans. Understanding the health facts associated with this...
Menactra, also known as the meningococcal vaccine, is a vaccine used to prevent potentially lethal infections such as meningitis (bacterial inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord) and septicemia (bacteria in the blood),...
Bell's palsy is a condition in which the muscles of the face become paralyzed due to damage to a facial nerve. Potential causes of Bell's palsy include viral infections (herpes simplex, HIV), bacterial infections (tuberculosis, Lyme disease),...
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium (borrelia burgdorferi) that is carried by deer ticks. Once the tick has attached itself for more than 24 hours, the bacterium can enter your body. Medical attention and intervention are then needed to diagnose...
Many people take drastic measures to preserve the appearance of youth. But when creams and lotions aren't enough, some turn to Botox injections. Botox is injected into wrinkles and lines (particularly on the forehead, around the eyes and mouth)...
Neurological disorders occur from damage to any part of the nervous system. In more than 600 neurological disorders, activities affected include speech, breathing, movement, swallowing or the ability to learn. The brain is the central processing...
Bell's palsy is the sudden onset of unilateral or one-sided facial paralysis of an unknown cause. The disorder affects the facial nerve which is responsible for facial muscle movement, taste for part of the tongue and tearing. This explains the...
Physicians diagnose about 500,000 new cases of shingles in the United States each year. There is no treatment for shingles, which is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox; however, antiviral medications can reduce the...
A person bitten by a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi can develop Lyme disease symptoms. Early-stage Lyme disease symptoms are typically mild and can include skin rash and flu-like symptoms. Patients who do not receive early...
Vitamin B-12 is a natural alternative treatment, in conjunction with traditional medications to treat Bell's palsy -- a condition that causes temporary paralysis of one side the face, making symmetrical facial expression impossible. Bell's palsy...
The facial nerve controls facial expression as well as eye closure and lip movement. Bell's palsy describes a weakness of the facial nerve. Although people use it to refer to any facial nerve weakness, the term technically only refers to cases...
Moebius (Möbius) syndrome is an extremely rare neurological disorder resulting in severe facial paralysis which is present at birth. Lack of facial expression is the hallmark of the syndrome. The syndrome is named after Paul Julius Moebius...
The carotid arteries of the neck carry oxygenated blood flow from the heart and body to the brain. Narrowing and blockages of the carotid arteries increase the risk of transient ischemic attacks, hemorrhages or bleeding and strokes. The Heart and...
Strokes can cause facial paralysis or partial loss of muscle control. These symptoms make speech, eating, facial expressions and general facial movement difficult or impossible for stroke victims. Specific exercises can help stroke patients regain...
If you're pregnant, you're probably aware of the risk of eating fish high in mercury. Mercury can cause central nervous system disorders, including brain damage and nervous system damage. But mercury isn't the only contaminant that can cause...
Inflammation of one of the two major facial nerves that run along the sides of your face can cause a medical condition known as Bell's palsy. Typically, patients with this disease experience symptoms on only one side of the face. Bell's palsy can...
Vitamin K represents a group of five subtypes. The K1 and K2 subtypes are obtained from plant and animal sources, respectively, while K3, K4 and K5 are synthetic versions used to fortify food. Vitamin K was named after the German word...
Shingles (herpes zoster) can erupt years after having chickenpox from the dormant viral infection that remains in your body. The malady tends to show up on only one side (hemisphere) of your body with tingling, sometimes painful nerve inflammation...
There are hundreds of diseases that can cause joint pain similar to that experienced by rheumatoid arthritis patients. Some conditions such as bursitis also cause inflamed, red or swollen joints but are not systemic. Rheumatoid arthritis and...
Each year millions of people suffer a head injury. Most of these injuries are not significant due to the bony structure of the head. Because the skull protects the delicate brain, most head injuries tend to be cuts and bruises. According to the...
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The bacteria enter the body through the tick site and then travel through blood and lymph to affect nearly every part of the body. There are three stages of Lyme...
Bell's palsy is caused by an inflammation of one of your facial nerves, leading to a temporary paralysis of facial muscles. One side, unilateral, or both sides, bilateral, of your face can be affected. Bell's palsy is characterized by a slight...
Bell's palsy is caused by an injury to cranial nerve VII, the facial nerve. Injuries are caused by trauma, cold, chemical irritation and infections. Once injured, the facial nerve is unable to transmit signals to the facial muscles and other...
