Bell’s palsy: the inducing factors survey

OBJECTIVE To investigate the induc-ing factors of Bell’s palsy. METHODS From Febru-ary to May 2005, 262 outpatients of Bell’s palsy were surveyed for 9 inducing factors. RESULTS The mean age of onset was 39±17 years old. The ratio of male to female and of left to right were 48:52. Forty-eight patients denied all inducing factors, while 214 pa-tients (81.7 %) had at least one factor. Cold was found in 53.5 % of the patients, fatigue in 22.5 %, viral infec-tion in 18.7 %, recurrence in 11.8 %, psychological stress in 11.5 %, family history in 7.6 %, puerperal period in 1.5 %, and molar infection of the affected side in 1.5 %. CONCLUSION Bell’s palsy is likely to be a set of disease. Most of patients with Bell’s palsy had inducing factors. Avoid these factors may reduce the incidence of Bell’s palsy. Further investigate will fractionize Bell’s palsy to several diseases includ-ing true idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis and some definite diseases.