SAUDI ARABIA POPULATION’S UNDERSTANDING AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF BELL'S PALSY: CAUSES, RISK FACTORS, AND MANAGEMENT
Abstract
Background: Sudden unilateral weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles is due to dysfunction of the seventh cranial nerve (Bell's palsy). Although its etiology is unknown, environmental and infectious factors, and inflammatory responses have been linked to it. Bell’s palsy is a significant disease with limited knowledge regarding its knowledge in Saudi Arabia and limited regional studies showing discordant incidence rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate understanding and awareness of the Saudi population about Bell’s palsy with its causes, risk factors and available management strategies. Methods: This is observational cross-sectional study; a self-administered quality was given to Saudi citizens who were fifteen years of age and older in Saudi Arabia from July to December 2024. Qualtrics calculator was used to determine a minimum sample size of 385. SPSS version 20 was used to perform statistical analysis. Results: A mean age of 34.2 years was reached by the 579 participants in the questionnaire. We found 35.4% erroneously linked bell's palsy with stroke, and 21.9% were unsure as to bell's palsy causes. Although 77.4% agreed cranial nerve VII plays a role, misconceptions in treatment still existed with 56.6% defining Bell's palsy as not self-limiting, and 50.6% believing recovery would take a long time. Highly notable of all, 53.9% of respondents had low knowledge about the condition while 8.8% had high knowledge. Knowledge had significant correlation with demographic factors like age, marital status and employment status (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Knowledge of Bell's palsy and misconceptions concerning its nature and management are a critical gap in this Saudi population. The results highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to increase public understanding and encourage timely recognition and management of this not always well understood condition. Enhances awareness and may result in improvements in the health outcomes of those affected by Bell's palsy in Saudi Arabia.