[Medical Q&A] Does crooked mouth corners indicate cerebrovascular disease?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Fan Dongsheng, Chief Physician, Peking University Third Hospital

This is not necessarily the case. Don’t panic if your mouth is crooked. Remember the “1+2+3” formula to help you determine whether you have cerebrovascular disease.

(1) Simple facial deviation: Clinically known as "central facial paralysis", it indicates the possibility of cerebrovascular disease. Patients are advised to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

(2) Deviation of the corner of the mouth + incomplete eyelid closure: This is clinically known as "peripheral facial palsy". This is not a cerebrovascular disease and the patient will not experience serious conditions such as limb paralysis. The condition is relatively mild.

(3) Deviation of the corners of the mouth + incomplete eyelid closure + any other symptom (such as dizziness, seeing things in double, numbness of the face/limbs, limb weakness, unsteady gait, slurred speech, and coughing when drinking water, etc.) indicates that the patient may have cerebrovascular disease, and the lesion may be in the brain stem. The condition is serious and it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Summary: If you have crooked corners of your mouth, remember the “1+2+3” formula, where “1” and “3” may indicate cerebrovascular disease.