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Table of Contents
Why Facial Droop Is a Stroke Symptom
How Your Face Looks During a Stroke
Emergency Stroke Treatment
Rehabilitation for Facial Drooping After Stroke
Facial palsy/paralysis is a common sign of astroke. A stroke is a sudden interruption or severe reduction of blood supply to part of your brain. It can occur from ablood clotor bleeding.
A stroke deprives your brain tissue of necessary oxygen and nutrients. This can cause brain cells to die within minutes of a stroke onset. Facial drooping occurs when a stroke interferes with blood flow to areas of your brain that control facial muscles. It can also result from other conditions unrelated to a stroke.
Facial droop is a common stroke symptom. Research indicates that facial droop occurs in up to 60% of people with first-time ischemic stroke.
A stroke is when blood flow to a certain part of your brain is stopped or reduced so much that the affected area does not receive the oxygen and blood supply it needs to function. When the disruption in blood flow occurs, one of the following types of stroke can occur:
Without sufficient blood flow, brain cells start to die, and the functions the affected area of your brain manages become lost or damaged. This can have the following impact on your face:
How Stroke Face and Changes Look
Stroke face can look slightly different for everyone due to individual facial characteristics. Stroke face can involve the following changes:
In addition to physical changes, stroke face can also trigger the following long-term responses:
Stroke Face vs. Bell’s Palsy Face
Stroke face and Bell’s palsyare two common causes of single-side facial paralysis that are often confused. Both conditions are medical emergencies and can involveheadaches, trouble eating, and problems speaking.
Stroke and Bell’s palsy are just two of more than 100 causes of facial paralysis. Other causes include:
The type of emergency stroke treatment you receive depends on the type of stroke that occurs. Treatments include:
Ischemic stroke treatment:
Hemorrhagic stroke:
Stroke Without Facial SymptomsThough a drooping face is a common symptom of stroke, it is possible to have a stroke without facial symptoms. Using the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize the symptoms of stroke without facial symptoms:B:Balance: Be aware of any sudden loss of balance.E:Eyesight change: Watch for blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), or a sudden loss of eyesight.F:Face drooping: Look for drooping, numbness, or an inability to smile on one side of your face.A:Arm weakness: Check for weakness or numbness in your arms.S:Speech difficulty: Look for an inability to speak normally, slurred speech, or the inability to repeat a simple sentence correctly.T:Time to call 911: If any symptoms are present, reach out to 911 immediately.
Stroke Without Facial Symptoms
Though a drooping face is a common symptom of stroke, it is possible to have a stroke without facial symptoms. Using the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize the symptoms of stroke without facial symptoms:B:Balance: Be aware of any sudden loss of balance.E:Eyesight change: Watch for blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), or a sudden loss of eyesight.F:Face drooping: Look for drooping, numbness, or an inability to smile on one side of your face.A:Arm weakness: Check for weakness or numbness in your arms.S:Speech difficulty: Look for an inability to speak normally, slurred speech, or the inability to repeat a simple sentence correctly.T:Time to call 911: If any symptoms are present, reach out to 911 immediately.
Though a drooping face is a common symptom of stroke, it is possible to have a stroke without facial symptoms. Using the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize the symptoms of stroke without facial symptoms:
B:Balance: Be aware of any sudden loss of balance.
E:Eyesight change: Watch for blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), or a sudden loss of eyesight.
F:Face drooping: Look for drooping, numbness, or an inability to smile on one side of your face.
A:Arm weakness: Check for weakness or numbness in your arms.
S:Speech difficulty: Look for an inability to speak normally, slurred speech, or the inability to repeat a simple sentence correctly.
T:Time to call 911: If any symptoms are present, reach out to 911 immediately.
Rehabilitation for facial drooping after a stroke can help you regain control of facial muscle groups to restore function and expression. Though spontaneous recovery of facial drooping after stroke has been reported in up to 67% of cases at six months post-stroke, about 33% of those affected have persistent facial drooping after six months post-stroke.
When facial drooping remains after a stroke, rehabilitation that uses active therapy, passive therapy, or a combination of both may help:
Active therapy, called facial neuromuscular retraining, is performed under the guidance of aphysical therapist. It involves highly specialized treatment to help you relearn basic facial expressions and movements. This nonsurgical treatment can support optimal recovery from facial paralysis or facial nerve damage. Active therapy can include:
Passive therapy, which involves treatments performed without your active participation, can include:
Rehabilitation results and recovery time depend on many factors unique to your situation. The severity of the brain damage, age, and the management of other physical health conditions can impact your progress.
When physical rehabilitation is ineffective, you may benefit from one of the following surgical treatments to treat facial drooping:
When Paralysis Occurs After a Seizure
People who have had a stroke have a high risk of having another stroke. Know the signs of a stroke to alert others about your condition. Look for symptoms associated with BE FAST. Call 911 immediately if you or a companion has any of the following symptoms:
Summary
Facial droop is viewed as a medical emergency because it is a common symptom of a stroke. It most often affects only one side of your face. In addition to paralysis, it can involve slurred speech, drooling, or problems with normal eyelid opening and closing.
Facial droop from stroke often resolves on its own without treatment. When this does not occur, physical rehabilitation or medical treatments may improve appearance and restore function.
Facial paralysis, even for a short time, should not be ignored. Call 911 if you or anyone near you has sudden facial paralysis. Learn to recognize signs of a stroke with the BE FAST system. This can help ensure that you and others receive prompt stroke treatment, which can support the best outcomes.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Vaughan A, Gardner D, Miles A, et al.A systematic review of physical rehabilitation of facial palsy.Front Neurol. 2020 Mar 31;11:222. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00222The Stroke Foundation.Types of stroke.American Stroke Association.Effects of stroke.American Stroke Association.F.A.S,T,: Face drooping or twisting.Zhang Y, Chen S, Ruan Y, et al.The facial skin blood flow change of stroke patients with facial paralysis after peripheral magnetic stimulation a pilot study. Brain Sci. 2022 Sep 21;12(10):1271. doi:10.3390/brainsci12101271Parkview Health.Knowing the difference between stroke and Bell’s palsy.St. Louis Children’s Hospital.Causes of facial paralysis.National Institute on Aging.Stroke: signs, causes, and treatment.American Stroke Association.Quick stroke treatment can saves lives.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke: treatment.University of Michigan Health.Emergency stroke treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and intervention for stroke.Duke Health.Know the signs of stroke - BE FAST.UVA Health.Facial paralysis treatment.HealthPartners.How long does it take to recover from a stroke? Here’s what to expect.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Vaughan A, Gardner D, Miles A, et al.A systematic review of physical rehabilitation of facial palsy.Front Neurol. 2020 Mar 31;11:222. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00222The Stroke Foundation.Types of stroke.American Stroke Association.Effects of stroke.American Stroke Association.F.A.S,T,: Face drooping or twisting.Zhang Y, Chen S, Ruan Y, et al.The facial skin blood flow change of stroke patients with facial paralysis after peripheral magnetic stimulation a pilot study. Brain Sci. 2022 Sep 21;12(10):1271. doi:10.3390/brainsci12101271Parkview Health.Knowing the difference between stroke and Bell’s palsy.St. Louis Children’s Hospital.Causes of facial paralysis.National Institute on Aging.Stroke: signs, causes, and treatment.American Stroke Association.Quick stroke treatment can saves lives.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke: treatment.University of Michigan Health.Emergency stroke treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and intervention for stroke.Duke Health.Know the signs of stroke - BE FAST.UVA Health.Facial paralysis treatment.HealthPartners.How long does it take to recover from a stroke? Here’s what to expect.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Vaughan A, Gardner D, Miles A, et al.A systematic review of physical rehabilitation of facial palsy.Front Neurol. 2020 Mar 31;11:222. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00222The Stroke Foundation.Types of stroke.American Stroke Association.Effects of stroke.American Stroke Association.F.A.S,T,: Face drooping or twisting.Zhang Y, Chen S, Ruan Y, et al.The facial skin blood flow change of stroke patients with facial paralysis after peripheral magnetic stimulation a pilot study. Brain Sci. 2022 Sep 21;12(10):1271. doi:10.3390/brainsci12101271Parkview Health.Knowing the difference between stroke and Bell’s palsy.St. Louis Children’s Hospital.Causes of facial paralysis.National Institute on Aging.Stroke: signs, causes, and treatment.American Stroke Association.Quick stroke treatment can saves lives.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke: treatment.University of Michigan Health.Emergency stroke treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and intervention for stroke.Duke Health.Know the signs of stroke - BE FAST.UVA Health.Facial paralysis treatment.HealthPartners.How long does it take to recover from a stroke? Here’s what to expect.
Vaughan A, Gardner D, Miles A, et al.A systematic review of physical rehabilitation of facial palsy.Front Neurol. 2020 Mar 31;11:222. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00222
The Stroke Foundation.Types of stroke.
American Stroke Association.Effects of stroke.
American Stroke Association.F.A.S,T,: Face drooping or twisting.
Zhang Y, Chen S, Ruan Y, et al.The facial skin blood flow change of stroke patients with facial paralysis after peripheral magnetic stimulation a pilot study. Brain Sci. 2022 Sep 21;12(10):1271. doi:10.3390/brainsci12101271
Parkview Health.Knowing the difference between stroke and Bell’s palsy.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital.Causes of facial paralysis.
National Institute on Aging.Stroke: signs, causes, and treatment.
American Stroke Association.Quick stroke treatment can saves lives.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Stroke: treatment.
University of Michigan Health.Emergency stroke treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and intervention for stroke.
Duke Health.Know the signs of stroke - BE FAST.
UVA Health.Facial paralysis treatment.
HealthPartners.How long does it take to recover from a stroke? Here’s what to expect.
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