Awareness of Hail Region Population about Facial Nerve Palsy (Seventh Cranial Nerve Palsy)

Abstract

Background: Facial nerve palsy (seventh cranial nerve palsy) is a common neurological problem. The etiology is not fully understood but it is thought to be due to injury or compression throughout the seventh cranial nerve course. The study aimed to evaluate the awareness of the Hail region population about facial nerve palsy, its risk factors, methods of treatment, and prognosis. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Hail region from March to June 2022. The study involved 224 participants in the age group 18 - 65 years and data was collected through Google self-administered questionnaire. Results: 65.2% of the participants were 18 - 25 years, 20.1% were 26 - 35 years and 14.7 were above 35 years. 91.9% think that exposure to cold air is the leading cause followed by viral infections (30.4%), stroke (27.6%), and genetic factors (13.8%). diabetes (8.5%), evil eye (7.1%), magic (4%), pregnancy (0.4%) and vitamins deficiency (0.4%). 92% of participants think that facial nerve palsy is not contagious and 8% have no clear idea. 89.7% think that facial nerve palsy is curable, 83.9% think that physiotherapy is the treatment of choice, 94.6% agree that early medical assessment is essential for good outcomes and 92.9 believe that avoidance of cold air is the best method of prevention. Conclusion and Recommendations: The majority of participants show poor awareness regarding the etiology and the preferable treatment of facial nerve palsy. Public medical education and further wider studies are highly recommended.