Bell’s palsy is a condition in which there is usually a weakness of the facial muscles on one side, sometimes accompanied by loss of taste on the front two-thirds of the tongue, and pain around the ear. Some people have a total weakness of the muscles on the affected side, such that eating and drinking, and even closing the affected eye become very difficult, whereas others are much more mildly affected.
This condition is ten times more common in pregnancy, and tends to occur towards the end of the pregnancy. It is due to swelling of the facial nerve with consequent pressure upon the nerve from the bone around it. The increased incidence in pregnancy may be a result of increased swelling associated with the hormones of pregnancy.
In 90 per cent of cases, Bell’s palsy gets better with no treatment, but this may happen slowly over a period of months. It is unlikely that this problem will have any lasting effects.