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NBA player Joel Embiid diagnosed with Bell's palsy

April 26, 2024

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid, 30, has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy that he says has affected him since before the NBA play-in tournament. (AP, ABC News, 2024)

The Cameroonian-American professional basketball player says he's dealt with various symptoms including migraines, blurred vision, and dry eyes. He wore sunglasses throughout the series and when he appeared at the podium after scoring 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the New York Knicks. (AP, ABC News, 2024)

Embiid, who's also been dealing with the effects of meniscus surgery on his left knee last February, said he first started noticing the condition about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. (AP, 2024)

What is Bell's palsy?

Bell's palsy is typically characterized by unilateral facial weakness or paralysis, drooping eyebrow and mouth, drooling, and difficulty closing the eye. Symptoms, which can vary between mild and severe, usually appear suddenly over a 48- to 72-hour period and generally begin to improve after a few weeks. People with Bell’s palsy usually recover some or all facial function within a few weeks to six months. Sometimes, the facial weakness may last longer or be permanent. In rare cases, Bell's palsy can affect both sides of the face. (NIH)

Bell's palsy can affect anyone but is most likely to occur between the ages of 15 and 45. Risk factors include pregnancy, preeclampsia, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and upper respiratory ailments. While the exact cause of Bell’s palsy is unknown, there's some evidence that inflammation and swelling of cranial nerve VII is involved. (NIH)

Sources:

(2024, April 26). ABC News. What to know about Bell's palsy, the facial paraylsis affecting Joel Embiid. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bells-palsy-facial-paralysis-affecting-joel-embiid-109693490

Gelston, Dan. (2024, April 26). AP. 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy. https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-76ers-embiid-bells-palsy-cf8fc223edb26f7a76b7fde8e1cd75d1

(Accessed 2024, April 26). NIH. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Bell's Palsy. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/bells-palsy