Dr. Narayan Jayashankar is a renowned and vastly experienced expert in diagnosing and treating facial paralysis in children and adults. He specializes in facial nerve surgeries for treating the cause of the paralysis. In cases of facial paralysis, he also performs various reanimation surgeries for the face to look better. He has popularized and probably has the largest series in the country for gold implantation in upper eyelid for paralytic lagophthalmos (inadequate eye closure due to facial palsy causing symptoms like watering or burning of eye and blurring of vision).

Types of Facial Nerve Disorders

Facial nerve disorders are characterized by drooping of one side of the face and can be classified into one of two types

Paresis

Subjects with incomplete loss of facial movement, who have some ability to move the muscles of the face on the affected side but not as effectively as the normal side

Paralysis

Subjects with complete paralysis have absolutely no ability to move the muscles of the face on the affected side

When Should You See a Specialist?

The facial nerve is responsible for many functions in the head and neck including movement of facial muscles, stimulating secretions of tears and saliva and transmission of sensory information. The following symptoms are associated with facial nerve disorders

• Loss of facial symmetry with various expressions of face
• Paresis (weakness) or paralysis on one side of the face giving rise to difficulty with facial expression like smiling, drooping of one side of the face or dribbling out of water from the mouth on the affected side
• Watering and burning of the eye due to inability to close the eye effectively
• Decrease in saliva production or a change in tear production
• Change in sense of taste on one side of the mouth
• Sensitivity to loud sounds
• Pain around the ear on the affected side

Additionally, patients with facial palsies may experience depression or low self-esteem related to this change in appearance.