Bell's palsy: the effect on self-image, mood state and social activity

Twenty patients with idiopathic lower motor neurone paralysis, Bell's palsy, were graded clinically for severity of palsy and subjected to a battery of questionnaires to assess self-image, mood and functional disability. A range of severity of palsy was represented and a variety of disturbance with facial self-image, social activity and emotional state was found. In particular 16 expressed dissatisfaction with at least one aspect of facial appearance, seven reported disturbance of face-to-face conversation and 12 described a change in other people's attitude to them. It was concluded that there is evidence of considerable social handicap in a proportion of patients afflicted by this otherwise relatively benign condition.