Facial droop occurs when there is damage to the nerves in the face, preventing the facial muscles from working properly. The nerve damage can either be temporary or permanent. Facial droop can also be caused by damage to the part of the brain that sends nerve signals to the facial muscles.
There are two common reasons why the mouth may turn down at the corners: Volume Loss & Skin Laxity: as the skin slows in production of collagen and elastin it is not equipped to support the skin, and gravity causes the skin to sag.
Botox injections can be utilised to relax muscles around the mouth, preventing them from contracting and dragging the lip corners downwards, whilst filler provides structural support to the lower face, helping to lift and rejuvenate the area.
Bell's palsy causes temporary paralysis, or palsy, of facial muscles. It occurs when a condition, such as a viral infection, causes inflammation and swelling of the seventh cranial nerve (the nerve that controls facial muscles). With Bell's palsy, your face droops on one side or, rarely, both sides.
The best way to often treat drooping corners of the mouth is to consider replacing, very subtly, volume in the cheeks with dermal fillers to 'lift' the jawline up. Dermal fillers can also be used around the mouth and chin to further improve the corners of the mouth leading to a refreshed and rejuvenated result.
Facial nerve damage
Medical experts believe that stress weakens the immune system and damages the seventh cranial nerve (or the facial nerve) which causes facial paralysis. The condition causes one side of your face to droop or become stiff.
“Because Bell's palsy affects a single nerve, the facial nerve, its symptoms mimic those of a stroke.” A stroke is caused by a blood clot that stops blood flow to the brain or by a blood vessel that ruptures in the brain, while Bell's palsy is linked to facial nerve damage.
Face drooping is one of the most common signs of a stroke. One side of the face may become numb or weak. This symptom may be more noticeable when the patient smiles. A lopsided grin could indicate that the muscles on one side of the face have been affected.
Acute Stroke. Bell's Palsy and ischemic stroke are the two most common causes of acute facial paralysis. Most ordinary people know that strokes cause facial weakness and will call emergency services if they suddenly find they have trouble smiling with one side of their face, for example.
The lower part of one side of the face is normally affected (the forehead is usually spared). However, the eye can be involved if the stroke is in the brainstem as the person will experience damage to the facial nucleus; which will present without forehead sparing.
Loss of bone mass in the jaw reduces the size of the lower face and makes your forehead, nose, and mouth more pronounced. Your nose may also lengthen slightly.
Loss of fat in our face
In our youthful face, we have areas of fat which keep our skin plump and taut. As we age, these areas of fat begin to diminish. This allows the skin to sag. The areas where fat loss is most noticed is in the temples, under the eyes, and in the cheek area.
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
What does that mean? A. A silent stroke refers to a stroke that doesn't cause any noticeable symptoms. Most strokes are caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The blockage prevents blood and oxygen from reaching that area, causing nearby brain cells to die.
Symptoms of a TIA
Face – the face might drop on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth may have dropped, and their eyelid may droop. Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness in one arm.
Men and women who have strokes often feel similar symptoms of stroke, such as face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty. Other common signs for both women and men include problems seeing out of one or both eyes and balance or coordination problems. Women can also experience: General weakness.
Bell's Palsy is a neurological condition in which the seventh facial nerve is not working properly, causing paralysis of one side of your face. Most people don't know that Bell's Palsy is most often brought on by stress and over use of your brain.
Conditions that may mimic Bell's palsy include CNS neoplasms, stroke, HIV infection, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, Lyme disease, otitis media, cholesteatoma, sarcoidosis, trauma to the facial nerve, autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, and ...
Difference in Symptoms
If the cause is Bell's palsy, watch for symptoms such as watering from the eye on the affected side of the face, changes in the ability to taste, sound sensitivity, and ringing ears. With a stroke, watch for trouble finding words, eyes gazing in one direction, trouble walking, and vision changes.
So could a recent physical trauma or even sleep deprivation. An autoimmune condition is also a possible trigger. The thought is that the facial nerve reacts to the infection by swelling, which causes pressure in the bony canal (known as the Fallopian canal) that the facial nerve passes through to the side of the face.
But, COVID-19 can also present with other central nervous system manifestations such as stroke, encephalo-myelitis, or peripheral nervous manifestations such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Bell's palsy.