Bell’s palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face. The facial nerves control muscle activity so when damaged it can cause the face to droop. Fortunately, for the majority of patients, normal to near-normal facial nerve function can be restored within 1-2 months with medications alone, especially in those who can still partly move their facial muscles. Bell’s palsy-related facial paralysis is sudden, often occurring overnight. The diagnosis of Bell’s palsy is typically made after a thorough evaluation of the entire body that may include a laboratory workup and possibly neuroimaging (MRI). As Bell’s palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion, other causes of facial weakness such as stroke, brain tumor, trauma, etc., should be ruled out. When treated within 72 hours of onset, symptoms usually improve within a few weeks.

Bell’s palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face. The facial nerves control muscle activity so when damaged it can cause the face to droop. Fortunately, for the majority of patients, normal to near-normal facial nerve function can be restored within 1-2 months with medications alone, especially in those who can still partly move their facial muscles. Bell’s palsy-related facial paralysis is sudden, often occurring overnight. The diagnosis of Bell’s palsy is typically made after a thorough evaluation of the entire body that may include a laboratory workup and possibly neuroimaging (MRI). As Bell’s palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion, other causes of facial weakness such as stroke, brain tumor, trauma, etc., should be ruled out. When treated within 72 hours of onset, symptoms usually improve within a few weeks.

Think Neuro Mini: What is Bell's Palsy? with Dr. Amit Kochhar

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. You’ll go deep into the brain and beyond, exploring the neurological processes and structures that control our health, hormones, behaviors, movements, moods, and emotions. You’ll learn about new therapies that are giving hope for sufferers of the most challenging diseases, and you’ll hear about some habits you can develop to keep your brain in good working order for years to come. We’ll show you why patients from around the world are coming to Pacific Neuroscience Institute for novel treatments that are in many instances, available at few other institutions.

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Think Neuro’s has two co-hosts, Anthony Effinger and Dan Fost.

Anthony Effinger is an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered money and finance, with deep forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children. He won the 2022 award for health care journalism from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for his piece on the disproven Covid remedy ivermectin and the anti-vaxx Portland biologist who was its biggest booster.

Dan Fost is a veteran journalist who has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. A former staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, he covers health, science, and technology, making complex subjects accessible to a broad audience. Dan has written extensively for the University of California, San Francisco, one of the nation’s leading health science universities, where he’s reported on leading scientists (including Nobel Prize winners), global health, and biotechnology innovations that have led to the launch of new companies. Dan is the author of “Giants Past and Present,” a book about the San Francisco baseball team. A native of New Jersey and a graduate of Boston University, Dan lives in Marin County, Calif., with his wife. They have one adult son.

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The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. You’ll go deep into the brain and beyond, exploring the neurological processes and structures that control our health, hormones, behaviors, movements, moods, and emotions. You’ll learn about new therapies that are giving hope for sufferers of the most challenging diseases, and you’ll hear about some habits you can develop to keep your brain in good working order for years to come. We’ll show you why patients from around the world are coming to Pacific Neuroscience Institute for novel treatments that are in many instances, available at few other institutions. pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640 Think Neuro’s has two co-hosts, Anthony Effinger and Dan Fost. Anthony Effinger is an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered money and finance, with deep forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children. He won the 2022 award for health care journalism from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for his piece on the disproven Covid remedy ivermectin and the anti-vaxx Portland biologist who was its biggest booster. Dan Fost is a veteran journalist who has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. A former staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, he covers health, science, and technology, making complex subjects accessible to a broad audience. Dan has written extensively for the University of California, San Francisco, one of the nation’s leading health science universities, where he’s reported on leading scientists (including Nobel Prize winners), global health, and biotechnology innovations that have led to the launch of new companies. Dan is the author of “Giants Past and Present,” a book about the San Francisco baseball team. A native of New Jersey and a graduate of Boston University, Dan lives in Marin County, Calif., with his wife. They have one adult son.

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Think Neuro Mini: What is Bell's Palsy? with Dr. Amit Kochhar

Think Neuro Mini: What is Bell's Palsy? with Dr. Amit Kochhar

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