La parálisis facial periférica consiste en un síndrome agudo con debilidad de la musculatura facial por afectación del nervio facial después del núcleo de este nervio (infranuclear), si el origen es anterior al núcleo (supranuclear), no es parálisis periférica, sino parálisis central, teniendo importancia en medicina distinguir las dos afecciones (la parálisis facial central es contralateral a la lesión afectando a la hemicara inferior mientras que la parálisis facial periférica es ipsilateral afectando a toda la hemicara) Es la más frecuente de todas las parálisis de los nervios craneales, puede ser unilateral si afecta únicamente a un lado y en raros casos bilateral. Según su origen puede dividirse en dos grupos: \n* Parálisis facial periférica idiopática o primaria, también llamada parálisis de Bell o parálisis a frigore. Es la más habitual y no se conoce la causa que la origina. \n* Parálisis facial sintomática o secundaria. Su frecuencia es menor, en este caso la parálisis facial es uno de los síntomas de otra enfermedad.

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Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in an inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. They may include muscle twitching, weakness, or total loss of the ability to move one or rarely both sides of the face. Other symptoms include drooping of the eyelid, a change in taste, pain around the ear, and increased sensitivity to sound. Typically symptoms come on over 48 hours. The cause of Bell's palsy is unknown. Risk factors include diabetes and a recent upper respiratory tract infection. It results from a dysfunction of cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve). Many believe that this is due to a viral infection that results in swelling. Diagnosis is based on a person's appearance and ruling out other possible causes. Other conditions that can cause facial weakness include brain tumor, stroke, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and Lyme disease. The condition normally gets better by itself with most achieving normal or near-normal function. Corticosteroids have been found to improve outcomes, while antiviral medications may be of a small additional benefit. The eye should be protected from drying up with the use of eye drops or an eyepatch. Surgery is generally not recommended. Often signs of improvement begin within 14 days, with complete recovery within six months. A few may not recover completely or have a recurrence of symptoms. Bell's palsy is the most common cause of one sided facial nerve paralysis (70%). It occurs in 1 to 4 per 10,000 people per year. About 1.5% of people are affected at some point in their life. It most commonly occurs in people between ages 15 and 60. Males and females are affected equally. It is named after Scottish surgeon Charles Bell (1774–1842), who first described the connection of the facial nerve to the condition.

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