Bell's palsy is a condition in which the facial nerves that innervate the whole face are affected. This usually manifests itself in one side of the face completely drooping and being paralyzed. The exact reasons for the problem occurring are not completely understood though inflammation of the nerves and viral infections top the list of possible reasons. However, of these, treatments with antiviral medication have not been shown to be of much use. Corticosteroids, however, have shown some promise. The odd thing about this disease is that in nearly ninety percent of the people affected by the disease, resolution comes within a short period of time. Your child's age is also a factor that works in his favor as well, as he could develop to have completely outgrown the condition.
In a case of Bell's palsy, the facial nerve that travels from the back of the ear to the muscles of face get inflamed and this means that they end up swelling. This swelling cuts of neural transmissions to the face and sometimes even destroys the nerve completely. What exactly causes this inflammation of a nerve is a mystery. The herpes virus is believed to be one of the causative factors, though Lyme disease is also a known cause. The herpes simplex, varicella, and zoster variants of the herpes virdae family are all known to infect the body and after a period of shedding will retreat to the nerves of the body. This is where they stay in a state of suspended animation. The theory is that some of viruses end up in the facial nerve where an unknown inflammatory process happens and so does the subsequent damage.
Some of the treatments for the condition include the use of corticosteroids to control inflammation and the use of antivirals like acyclovir. Some patients have been known to get some level of relief from the condition due to the use of acupuncture but why this does work is still a mystery. Since the condition usually resolves itself in time with the minimal evidence that the condition was ever there, the prognosis is quite positive. Some of the complications that can occur after recovery is the profusion of nerves in areas of the face where they shouldn't branch out to. This can cause some involuntary reactions when performing normal reactions like lacrimation when eating food or the raising of a lip when the eyebrow is raised.
answered by G M