What it means
One side of the face hangs lower or does not move as well as the other. It shows most when the person smiles or shows their teeth. It happens when the nerve supply to the face muscles is disrupted, as with a stroke or Bell palsy.
For the nurse
Ask the client to smile and look for uneven movement. Sudden facial droop is a stroke warning sign until proven otherwise: note the time the client was last known to be normal and activate the stroke response right away.
Remember it
In BE FAST, F is for face drooping.