Complications

A mild case of Bell's palsy normally disappears within a month. Recovery from a more severe case involving total paralysis varies. Complications may include:

• Irreversible damage to your facial nerve.
• Abnormal regrowth of nerve fibers. This may result in involuntary contraction of certain muscles when you're trying to move others (synkinesis) — for example, when you smile, the eye on the affected side may close.
• Partial or complete blindness of the eye that won't close due to excessive dryness and scratching of the clear protective covering of the eye (cornea).