Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The symptoms described are typical of Bell's palsy, which involves unilateral facial nerve paralysis that often presents suddenly. Key features distinguishing Bell's palsy include the involvement of the forehead and the absence of other neurological deficits. In conditions like stroke, the upper facial muscles (forehead) are typically spared due to bilateral upper motor neuron innervation. The lack of pain also helps distinguish it from trigeminal neuralgia, which is characterized by severe, episodic facial pain.