Answer
The word palsy just means weakness or paralysis. Bell's palsy affects the muscles on one side of the face and causes the face to droop. It usually comes on suddenly, even overnight, and usually gets better on its own within a few weeks.
Some people initially believe it is the result of stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) but it is not related to either of those conditions.
Some cases are caused by the Herpes Zoster (Chicken Pox) virus or some other viral etiology. Others are associated with conditions such as diabetes.
The generally accepted form of treatment is one week of steroid therapy along with anti-viral medication such as Acyclovir. Outcomes are good for approximately 80 percent of cases even without treatment and even higher with treatment. Many of the remainder of patients have almost complete recovery and very few fail to improve at all.
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