Paralysis is the condition (whether permanent or temporary) that makes you unable to move your body parts and also it can distort your facial expressions.
It occurs due to nerve damage, which is seen in most of the cases, or due to certain injuries affecting specific areas in the body.
For instance, an injury in the lower or middle regions of the spinal cord is likely to create body function’s abnormality. It also includes disability to move or feel sensations, even if the actual postures are as healthy as ever.
What Actually Happens To The Body When It Gets Paralyzed?
That truly based on the cause of the paralysis, but commonly at least one of the following aspects is in play:
- The brain cannot relay signals to the areas of the body because of brain injuries.
- The brain can sense touch and feel other sensations in the body, but can’t effectively relay a response because of the injuries in the spinal cord.
- Or, the condition where the brain cannot send and receive signals to an area of the body.
The spinal cord is the brain’s relay system, so if something is wrong with it or is injured, it leads to paralysis. The injuries can be the result of accidents or diseases like polio or strokes.
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However, most spinal cord injuries are partial, which means that some signals can still travel up and down the cord. With that, you may feel some sensation and movements, or the gravity of the paralysis may change.
Whereas, a complete spinal cord injury, entirely compressed the nerves, making it impossible for the signal to travel.
It is also prominent in the case of diabetes damaging the diabetic nerve or if there is any other severe medical condition.
Four Conditions That Cause Paralysis
Bell’s palsy
Bell’s palsy occurs when the herpes simplex virus (HSV) gets retrieved in the temporal ear bone. The nerve becomes inflamed and “shuts down” rapidly.
It is usually associated with a sensation or feeling that face movement may be inhibited. However, if you are experiencing Bell’s palsy, a globally recognized reconstructive and plastic surgery expert Dr. Azizzadeh will help you in treating facial nerve disorder and associated conditions.
Demyelinating Disease
This occurs when the protective shield around your nerve cells, (called myelin sheath), is damaged over time. This makes it harder for the neurons to relay signals throughout your body. It thus weakens your muscles and eventually resulting paralysis. There are various demyelinating diseases, but the most found is multiple sclerosis.
Motor Neuron Disease (MNDs)
A motor neuron is a nerve cell that controls the muscles you use to breathe, walk, speak, and move your limbs. They are of two types:
Lower motor neuron: It is affected by one of the diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This makes muscles flaccid, weak which in turn causes them to twitch uncontrollably.
Upper motor neuron: It is affected by one of the diseases like primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), which results in spastic and stiff muscles.
The most found MND is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), which affects both lower and upper neurons.
Lyme disease Or Tick Paralysis
Some ticks posse’s neurotoxins in their spit glands that can lead to paralysis. It starts in your feet and legs and moving upward. If it’s not treated, it can spread to your face and can get very serious. Tick paralysis sometimes carries Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can cause various symptoms, including numbness in your arms and legs, and facial paralysis.
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