Bell’s palsy is a form of facial paralysis which can lead to the loss of the ability to close your eyes. The Upper eyelid has muscles which open the eyes (levator muscle and Muller’s muscle) and a muscle which closes the eyes (orbicularis oculi muscle). When the elevator muscles become weak or mal-functions what results is a droopy lid referred to as ptosis. The orbicularis muscle is supplied by the 7th Cranial nerve also called the facial nerve. In Bell’s palsy and other forms of facial paralysis this nerve is damaged and leads to weakness of eyelid closure. As the closing of the lids is reduced, the patient experiences dry eyes, red eyes, eye irritation, possible infections and potentially loss of vision. For this reason it is critical to see an eyelid specialist who performs eyelid reconstructive surgery – or an oculoplastic surgeon.
The eyes are one of our most important organs as they control vision our most important sensory function. In addition the appearance of the eyes and eyelids is vital to how we present ourselves to society and for our self-esteem. We must do all we can to attain the best visual function and appearance after suffering from Bell’s palsy or other forms of facial paralysis.
For more information on the subject of Bell’s Palsy, inability to close the eyes and how to correct these issues please open the following links: https://drmassry.com/blog/?tag=eyelid-paralysis, https://drmassry.com/blog/?p=488 , https://drmassry.com/blog/?p=521
