Bell’s Palsy Diagnosis
Currently, there is no specific test to diagnose Bell’s palsy. In general, your healthcare provider needs to check your face and movements of facial muscles by asking you to perform basic tasks, such as frowning, smiling, lifting the brow, or closing and opening the eyes. Other serious conditions, such as a brain tumor, Lyme disease, a stroke, and other infections, could cause similar signs, especially muscle weakness in the face.
In some cases, a few tests can be done to rule out other causes. Imaging scans like a CT or an MRI can help rule out a skull fracture or a tumor. Another option is electromyography or an EMG, a test that can find out and determine the severity of nerve damage. It does this by measuring a muscle’s electrical activity in response to the stimulation and the speed and nature of the generation of electrical impulses along the nerve. [6]
