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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
The nerve that controls your facial muscles passes through a narrow corridor of bone on its way to your face. If this nerve becomes inflamed and swollen — usually from infection with a virus — it gets pinched in this tight corridor. Pressure from the bone can damage the protective covering of the nerve and interfere with communication between the nerve and your facial muscles, resulting in weakness and paralysis.
The most common cause of Bell's palsy appears to be the herpes simplex virus, which also causes cold sores and genital herpes. Other viruses that have been linked to Bell's palsy include the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles (herpes zoster), the virus that causes mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr), and another virus in the same family (cytomegalovirus).
