Generalities:

The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve, each at the sides of the face. It is a mixed nerve (motor and sensitive), has several functions including controlling the muscles of the face, sensitivity of the face and tongue, supplies parasympathetic preganglional innervation (control of the salivary, lacrimal and paranasal glands) and several nerve ganglia of the head and the neck. Keep in mind that paralysis can also be due to brain damage (stroke).