Seasonal distribution of the incidence of bell's palsy

Bell’s palsy is known to be related to cold weather. In temperate countries, a significant decrease has been determined in incidence. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of Bell’s palsy in the city of Antalya, which is warmer than many other regions in Turkey, and to evaluate the relationship between the incidence and the seasons. A retrospective evaluation was made of 1143 patients who presented with facial paralysis at the Emergency Room or the Ear, Nose, and Throat Polyclinic of the Health Sciences University Training and Research Hospital, Antalya between January 2005 and January 2016. A total of 816 patients were accepted as Bell’s palsy with no etiological factor and were included in the study. The age and gender of the patients were evaluated separately according to the month and season in which the facial paralysis was seen. Statistical analysis was made by separating the patients into age subgroups of 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and >79 years. The 816 patients with Bell’s palsy comprised 435 (53%) females and 381 (46%) males with a mean age of 42.9 years. In the age range subgroups, 15 (1.8%) patients were in the 0-9 years, which was a significantly lower number than the other groups (p<0.001). The etiology of Bell’s palsy has not yet been fully clarified. However, an increase in incidence has been shown in cold weather in particular. Whatever the climatic conditions, the incidence of Bell’s palsy increases in the coldest months. Furthermore extensive multicenter series on this subject would more clearly show the relationship of Bell’s palsy with the seasons.