CBS2's Maurice DuBois Discusses Bell's Palsy Diagnosis, Says Prognosis Good

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- You may have noticed that Maurice DuBois has not been seen on CBS2 since New Year's, and on Tuesday he explained why.

DuBois has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy -- which has caused weakness on the right side of his face -- and has been undergoing treatment for the condition. He issued a post on Facebook about it on Tuesday afternoon.

DuBois' doctors say his prognosis is good, and he is looking forward to returning to work as soon as he can.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, Bell's palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face. The result is that one side of the face droops.

The condition is not common, but not rare either. About 40,000 people a year develop Bell's palsy.

The paralysis or weakness affects the facial nerve that comes out right behind the ear and innervates the muscles of the face. Smiling, frowning and blinking are all impaired with Bell's palsy.

The cause is thought to be a virus that inflames the nerve, causing it to swell. But because the nerve comes out of the brain through a small bony tunnel, there is no room for it to swell – so it gets squeezed and shut down.

Bell's palsy comes on suddenly – often overnight – and without warning. The only treatment for it is prednisone – an oral corticosteroid to reduce inflammation – and antiviral medication.

The good news is that most people with Bell's palsy start to regain normal function completely within a couple of weeks, and usually recover completely or with very few after-effects.

Dr. Gomez spoke with DuBois on Tuesday, and he said he is getting the right treatments and is starting to feel some tingling in his face – a sign that the nerve is regenerating.

DuBois also joined CBS2's Gomez, Chris Wragge, Kristine Johnson and Lonnie Quinn by phone on Tuesday, and said he is feeling fine other than the problems with his face.

"Other than the side of my face the right side being locked and frozen, I feel as if its' business as usual," DuBois said. "I feel normal I feel as good as ever. I even had a physical the other day, and everything is fine except the side of my face."

He said on the Monday after New Year's, he was ready to go after a short break – only to find that he couldn't smile.

"You think the worst; you think stroke… (but) I didn't feel any tingling or anything like that," DuBois said.

DuBois said his doctors ruled out several conditions and concluded that he had Bell's palsy.

After DuBois posted to Facebook about his condition, numerous people left well-wishes.

"So glad to hear you will be fine. I have been wondering where your smiling face has been on the broadcasts," wrote Joni Bernahl. "Thank you for keeping us posted on how you are doing. Take care and looking forward to seeing you back on the air!"

"That sucks, but the good news is that it is not a big deal... you just look funny for a while," wrote Tod Rainey. "Hope you are back in action soon, and enjoy some much needed time off."

Many people who left comments had experience with Bell's palsy themselves, or had loved ones who have had the illness.

"You are in my prayers. I had it. I decided to help it along by massaging it to get the blood circulate. No one told me to do it but I had nothing to lose. I healed completely," wrote Jean Meltzer. "It's scary when it's happening. You think you're having a stroke. Be well! You will be missed."

"My brother and nephew both had it. The symptoms took months to disappear completely," wrote David Lund. "Good Luck Maurice, and here's hoping you recover quickly!"

DuBois noted how much he has appreciated the support he has received since posting about his condition on Facebook.

"I have to tell you that because of that post and the nature of email and social media these days, there's been an avalanche of support that I've never imagined, and it's just been a flood all day," he said.

DuBois said following the diagnosis, he told his doctor, "I think I need a beer after this."

"He said, 'I only have one rule about that – make sure it's a good one,'" DuBois said.