A drooping mouth corner as a warning: telling facial palsy causes apart early
Byung-Ha Moon, director of the Korean Medicine Center, on Bell's palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome and when sudden facial weakness means a stroke.
2 min read
Sports Kyunghyang spoke with Dr. Byung-Ha Moon, who has focused on Korean medicine care for neurological conditions for about thirty years, about facial palsy, which is reported most often from autumn into winter.
The most common type is Bell's palsy, where no clear cause is found, though viral reactivation and swelling of the facial nerve are thought to play a part. Ramsay Hunt syndrome, where the shingles virus affects the facial nerve, can come with severe ear pain, blisters around the ear, hearing loss or dizziness.
The article stresses one point above all: sudden facial weakness should not be assumed to be Bell's palsy. If it comes with slurred speech, weakness in an arm or leg, or trouble walking, call emergency services at once.
Treatment starts with an accurate diagnosis of the cause. At Kwangdong, steroid treatment from neurology can run alongside Korean medicine care and, when needed, a three to five day inpatient program.
This is a summary written by Kwangdong Hospital. The full article was published in Korean.
Sports Kyunghyang · 2026.10.21
