what are the causes of facial paralysis?

 Facial paralysis can be caused by various factors, including:

• Damage or swelling of the facial nerve, which carries signals from the brain to the muscles of the face
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• Damage to the area of the brain that sends signals to the muscles of the face
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• Weakness of the facial muscles that can occur in neurologic diseases such as myasthenia gravis or some myopathies and muscular dystrophies
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• Infection or inflammation of the facial nerve
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• Head trauma
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• Head or neck tumor
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• Stroke
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• Surgery or medical procedures, such as facelifts, dental procedures, mastoid or parotid surgery, nerve blocks in the face, and skull base surgery
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• Congenital (present at birth) conditions, such as Moebius syndrome and congenital facial palsy
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• Viruses, such as herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus
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• Lyme disease
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Facial paralysis can come on suddenly (in the case of Bell’s palsy, for example) or happen gradually over a period of months (in the case of a head or neck tumor). Depending on the cause, the paralysis might last for a short or extended period of time

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