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Incidence

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The precise incidence of Bell's palsy is not known.

  • Bell's palsy accounts for almost three quarters of all acute facial palsies, with the highest incidence in the 15 to 45 year old age group
  • annual incidence in the UK population is around 20 per 100 000, with one in 60 people being affected during their lifetime
  • men and women are equally affected.
  • it occurs more commonly in patients with diabetes and in pregnant women (45 cases per 100 000)(2)
  • a general practitioner expects to see one case every 2 - 3 years

Recurrence is relatively common.

Reference:

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