LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Facial: Facial Paralysis
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Facial paralysis of sudden onset during an acute ear infection is indicative of an acute inflammation leading to malfunction. This tends to occur in infants and young children, because infection spreads through small gaps in the bony canal surrounding the nerve. Ordinarily, prompt treatment of the infection, including removal of infected material in the middle ear via a temporary hole in the ear drum, will lead to resolution of the reversible nerve dysfunction.
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Facial nerve problems may result in facial muscle paralysis, weakness, or twitching of the face; dryness of the eye or the mouth; or alteration of taste on the affected side. However, the finding of one of these symptoms does not necessarily imply a specific facial nerve problem; your physician needs to make a careful investigation in order to make a precise diagnosis.
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Facial paralysis that occurs following head trauma can be due to several different injuries. Most commonly, fractures of the temporal bone through which the facial nerve travels (These are ... called Skull Base Fractures.), lead to either temporary or permanent damage to the nerve. Less commonly, direct brainstem injury or a stroke related to the trauma can lead to central nervous system malfunction, so that the facial muscles do not work properly, even if the nerve itself is intact.
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The facial nerve allows one to move the muscles of the face in smiling, frowning, laughing, crying, or making any other facial expressions. The nerve ... controls the tear glands in the eyes, some of the saliva glands in the mouth, and the taste buds on the front of the tongue. When the facial nerve is damaged because of infection, injury, tumor or other reasons, these functions can be diminished or completely lost. Damage may result in twitching or spasms, facial weakness or paralysis, dryness in the eyes or mouth, or disruption of one's sense of taste.
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Many infectious and inflammatory processes can result in facial paralysis. This occurs either through direct effects on the nerve, or because generalized inflammation causes swelling in the tight bony canal through which the facial nerve runs. This chokes the nerve of its blood supply, and causes it to malfunction from lack of nutrition. Some diseases and conditions that result in facial paralysis include Lyme disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Diabetes. For additional information
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The facial nerve may be injured inside the skull or outside the skull before it branches. Individual branches can ... be injured. For example, spontaneous facial paralysis, also known as Bell's palsy, appears to result from damage to the nerve before it leaves the skull. Surgical injury or other trauma to the facial nerve often occurs to a specific branch. This leads to impaired facial movement of the area of the face served by that branch of the facial nerve.
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Facial Paralysis