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What is Paralysis?
Paralysis is a complete or partial loss
of function or a sensory damage as well as motor of one or more muscle groups
in the body. It could be localized or generalized and it could be occurring in
the lower part of the body including both legs is called paraplegia, and if it
is in the arms and legs is called quadriplegia. A study conducted by
Christopher and Daana Reeve foundation stated that 1 in 50 have been diagnosed
with Paralysis. It happens when something goes
wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Most
paralyses caused by nervous system damage (i.e. spinal cord injuries) are constant in nature;
however, there are forms of periodic paralysis, including sleep paralysis,
which are caused by other factors.
How many types of Paralysis?
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is impairment in motor or sensory
function in the lower part of the body, which is usually a result of Spinal
Cord injury that affects the neutral elements of the spinal canal in the
regions of either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions.
Quadriplegia
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia,
is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial
or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but
does not affect the arms. The loss is usually sensory and motor, which means
that both sensation and control are lost
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral
palsy is a group of disorder causing to brain and nervous system and often
called as brain paralysis. This can lead to a impairment of movement, learning,
seeing, hearing and thinking. The different types of cerebral palsy include dyskinetic,
ataxic, spastic, and hypotonic. The reasons are very limited to this problem
and premature infants are at a higher risk as the baby’s brain is in a
developing state during the first two years.
What is sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis consists
of a period of inability to perform voluntary movements either at sleep onset
(called hypnogogic or predormital form) or upon awakening (called hypnopompic
or postdormtal form).
Sleep paralysis may also
be referred to as isolated sleep paralysis, familial sleep paralysis, hynogogic
or hypnopompic paralysis, predormital or postdormital paralysis
What are the symptoms?
- A complaint of inability to move the trunk or limbs at sleep onset or upon awakening
- Presence of brief episodes of partial or complete skeletal muscle paralysis
- Episodes can be associated with hypnagogic hallucinations or dream-like mentation (act or use of the brain)
Polysomnography (a sleep recording) shows at least one of
the following:
- suppression of skeletal muscle tone
- a sleep onset REM period
- dissociated REM sleep
Is it harmful?
Sleep paralysis is most
often associated with narcolepsy, a neurological condition in which the person
has uncontrollable naps. However, there are many people who experience sleep
paralysis without having signs of narcolepsy. Sometimes it runs in families.
There is no known explanation why some people experience this paralysis. It is
not harmful, although most people report feeling very afraid because they do
not know what is happening, and within minutes they gradually or abruptly are
able to move again; the episode is often terminated by a sound or a touch on
the body.
In some cases, when
hypnogogic hallucinations are present, people feel that someone is in the room
with them, some experience the feeling that someone or something is sitting on
their chest and they feel impending death and suffocation. That has been called
the “Hag Phenomena” and has been happening to people over the centuries. These
things cause people much anxiety and terror, but there is no physical harm.
What else we can you tell me
about sleep paralysis?
- Some people with disrupted sleep schedules or circadian rhythm disturbances experience sleep paralysis
- A study found that 35% of subjects with isolated sleep paralysis also reported a history of wake panic attacks unrelated to the experience of paralysis
- Sixteen percent of these persons with isolated sleep paralysis met the criteria for panic disorder
How can I stop the sleep
paralysis?
In severe cases, where
episodes take place at least once a week for 6 months, medication may be used.
You may be able to
minimize the episodes by following good
sleep hygiene:
- getting enough sleep
- reduce stress
- exercise regularly (but not too close to bedtime)
- keep a regular sleep schedule
Sleep paralysis is most often associated with narcolepsy, a neurological condition in which the person has
uncontrollable naps. However, there are many people who experience sleep
paralysis without having signs of narcolepsy.
What is narcolepsy?
The cause of narcolepsy
is unknown. The neurological disorder is characterized by excessive
sleepiness that is typically associated with cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle
tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles that is associated with a strong
emotion) and other REM sleep abnormalities such as sleep paralysis, (Imobility
of the body that occurs in the transition from sleep to wakefulness.) and
hypnagogic hallucinations ( pre-sleep dreams).
What are the symptoms?
- excessive sleepiness or sudden muscle weakness
- cataplexy (a sudden loss in muscle tone and deep tendon reflexes leading to muscle weakness, temporary paralysis or a complete postural collapse. Cataplexy is usually brought on by an outburst of emotion - notably laughter, anger or startle.)
- sleep paralysis
- hypnologic hallucinations
- Automatic behaviors (like driving home and not remembering how you got there!)
- disrupted major sleep episode (disruption of the longest sleep episode that occurs on a daily basis)
Polysomnography
shows one or more of the following:
- The onset of sleep is less than 10 minutes
- The onset of REM sleep is less than 20 minutes and
- A Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) that demonstrates an average sleep onset of less than 5 minutes
- HLA typing demonstrates DR2 positivity (Blood contains markers for narcolepsy)
How serious is this
disorder?
Narcolepsy is not a
fatal disorder in itself. Narcolepsy has a great impact on
functionability. Due to the excessive sleepiness, narcoleptics may fall
asleep while driving and that is sometimes fatal. There are different
levels of severity. Some with this disorder may have mild sleepiness or
rare cataplexy (less than once per week). Others may have moderate
sleepiness or infrequent cataplexy (less than daily). Yet others may experience
severe sleepiness or severe cataplexy (daily). Narcolepsy is usually
treated with a medication to improve alertness and an anti-depressant that
helps control cataplexy. In February 1999, a new drug, Provigil (Modafinil) is
to be distributed for use in controlling sleepiness in narcolepsy.
Tests that may be performed include:
- Blood studies (such as CBC, white blood cell differential, blood chemistry levels, or muscle enzyme levels)
- CT scan of the head or spine
- MRI of the head or spine
- Muscle or nerve biopsy
- Myelography
- Nerve conduction studies and electromyography
What are the Causes of
Paralysis?
Paralysis is most often caused by
damage in the nervous system,
especially the spinal cord.
Other major causes are stroke, trauma with nerve injury, poliomyelitis, botulism, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Temporary
paralysis occurs during REM sleep,
and deregulation of this system can lead to episodes of waking paralysis.
Drugs that interfere with nerve function,
such as curare, can also cause paralysis. There are
many known causes for paralysis, and perhaps more yet to be discovered.
Pseudoparalysis (pseudo- meaning "false, not
genuine", from Greek ψεῦδος
is voluntary restriction or inhibition of motion because of pain,
incoordination, orgasm, or other cause, and is not due to actual muscular
paralysis In an infant, it may be a symptom of congenital syphilis.
Stroke
Spinal
cord injuries
Trauma
particularly to the nervous system of the brain
Ayurveda remedies for Paralysis
This post is for basic awareness and prior care. Please consult and confirm with your doctor for more information
