What to know about Bell's palsy, the facial paralysis affecting Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a condition that can strike out of the blue and cause muscles on one side of a person's face to become weak or paralyzed, distorting expression.

Here’s what to know about the mostly temporary condition:

Bell’s palsy occurs when something inflames or injures a nerve that controls facial muscles. Symptoms come on rapidly over two to three days. They can include difficulty closing an eyelid, a drooping eye or mouth or paralysis of an entire half of the face.