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Hemiplegia is a type of paralysis that affects only one side of the body and which often indicates severe or life-threatening conditions like stroke.
- It is often understood as a form of trauma-induced paralysis that affects parts of the body.
- A person suffering from Hemiplegia often losses sensation and control in the affected area and experiences intermittent pain.
- Hemiplegia can cause weakness, issues with muscle control, and muscle stiffness.
Hemiplegia can impact either the left or right side of the body.
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Key Terms: Hemiplegia, Muscles, Central Nervous System, Stroke, Brain Infection, Brain Trauma, Epilepsy
Hemiplegia Meaning
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Hemiplegia is the paralysis of the muscles of the lower face, arm, and leg on either side of the body.
- Hemiplegia can cause one side of the body to weaken and in extreme cases, half the body can contract uncontrollably.
- It is often caused due to spinal cord injury or brain damage leading to paralysis of one side of the body.
- Depending on the cause, hemiplegia can either be temporary or permanent.
- The most common reason for hemiplegia is stroke, causing damage to the corticospinal tracts in one of the sides of the brain.
- Hemiplegia can impact the face, arm and leg on one side of the body in several ways. Hemiplegia is one of the most common signs of strokes.
Hemiplegia
Frequently Asked QuestionsQues. What is Hemiparesis meaning? Ans. Hemiparesis is a common after-effect that occurs following a stroke, causing weakness on one side of the body. Ques. What is contralateral hemiplegia? Ans. Contralateral Hemiplegia is the paralysis on the opposite side of the body where brain damage occurs. |
Causes of Hemiplegia
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The leading cause of Hemiplegia is defects in the central nervous system i.e. brain and spinal cord. Following are the causes of Hemiplegia-
- Strokes: Stroke is one of the most common causes of Hemiplegia and the severity of paralysis caused by Hemiplegia greatly depends on the size and location of the stroke. Hemiplegia in newborn kids is often caused by a stroke in the womb.
- Brain Infection: A brain infection can cause severe damage to the cortex of the brain and result in Hemiplegia.
- Brain Trauma: A sudden impact or injury to your head can cause permanent brain damage. Some of the common causes of trauma are car accidents, sports injuries, assaults, etc. causing Hemiplegia.
- Genetics: In rare cases, Hemiplegia is caused by a rare mutation of the ATP1A3 that causes a condition known as alternating hemiplegia in children that causes temporary hemiplegia symptoms that come and go. It affects about 1 in 1 million people.
- Brain tumours: Brain tumour is another reason that can cause Hemiplegia and it may worsen the paralysis with the growth of the tumour.
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Symptoms of Hemiplegia
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Whichever side or part of the brain is damaged causes paralysis to the opposite side of the body. People suffering from Hemiplegia can experience different symptoms some of which include:
- Weakness in muscles or stiffness
- Contracting muscles
- Trouble walking
- Trouble maintaining balance
- Difficulty in grabbing or holding objects
Children suffering from Hemiplegia take longer than their peers to develop and may only use one hand while playing or keep it in a fist. Hemiplegia caused due to brain injury can result into:
- Loss of memory
- Trouble in concentration
- Trouble while speaking
- Change in behaviour
- Seizures
Conditions that Cause Hemiplegia
The following are the conditions that cause Hemiplegia-
- Strokes or Mini Strokes (Transient Ischemic Attacks)
- Hemorrhage inside the brain.
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Injuries experienced early during childhood or birth can result in conditions like cerebral palsy.
- Migraine headaches
- Seizures and epilepsy, brain tumours, nervous system diseases, etc.
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Treatment of Hemiplegia
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The treatment of Hemiplegia depends on the cause of the paralysis, some of which are curable while others might cause severe permanent damage to the nervous system such as the spinal cord, or traumatic brain injuries. In such cases, Hemiplegia won’t go away completely, even though there are chances of improvement.
The best way to treat Hemiplegia is to consult a medical expert and undergo activities such as Physiotherapy, electrical stimulation, etc. to recover from the paralysis.
- Physiotherapy helps people with hemiplegia gain their balance ability, build strength and coordinate movement.
- Modified constraint-induced movement therapy- This therapy restrains the functioning part of the body, thus forcing the weaker part to improve its muscle control and mobility.
- Assistive devices- using an assistive device such as a wheelchair, walker, brace, etc may help build muscular control and mobility.
- Electrical stimulation- it aims to reduce imbalances in the affected side of the damaged nervous system and helps revive its function.
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Prevention of Hemiplegia
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Hemiplegia is often unpredictable and therefore it’s difficult to prevent it completely. However, the following preventive measures can be taken to avoid the chances-
- Maintain a balanced diet: Maintaining a balanced diet and following the chart prescribed either by a specialist or by oneself can actively prevent Hemiplegia.
- Take good care of your health: Diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, etc can raise the risk for conditions that can cause hemiplegia, and thus taking good care of your health ensures a low risk of having paralysis.
- Don’t ignore infections: Infections in the eyes and ears can cause hemiplegia if they spread to parts of the brain. Taking medications and proper treatment for infections can prevent you from getting hemiplegia.
- Wear safety equipment: Using protective gear can prevent head, neck, and back injuries and thus lower the risk of having the disease.
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Things to Remember
- The major cause of Hemiplegia is damage to the central nervous system comprising the spinal cord and brain.
- Hemiplegia is curable to some extent in some cases whilst in others it gets difficult. The possibility of its cure relies on the cause and its severity.
- Hemiplegia causes stiffness in muscles and makes body movement difficult.
- With the help of a medical expert, muscular movement, in the cause of Hemiplegia, can be revived to some extent through techniques such as physiotherapy, electrical stimulation, etc.
Sample Questions
Ques. What are the conditions which cause Hemiplegia? (2 marks)
- Strokes or Mini Strokes
- Brain Hemorrhage
- Concussions or traumatic brain injuries
Ques. What is Hemiplegia and what causes it? (2 marks)
Ans. Hemiplegia is a condition that causes paralysis to either the left/right side of the body, in extreme cases to half of the body, and is caused by damage to the central nervous system mainly the spinal cord and brain.
The main cause of hemiplegia can be stroke which damages the brain or can be trauma or brain tumors that result in hemiplegia.
Ques. Is hemiplegia permanent? (2 marks)
Ans. There’s no permanent cure for hemiplegia and thus it can be referred to as a permanent disease. However, in some people, the muscular movement improves with time whilst in some, it remains the same. Thus hemiplegia is regarded as a non-progressive disease as the symptoms don’t get worse over time.
Ques. How can Hemiplegia be treated? (3 marks)
Ans. Hemiplegia contracts the muscles and makes basic muscular movement hard which makes the affected body parts weak and stiff. To revive the functions of the muscles medical experts use the following methods of treatment-
- Physiotherapy
- Electrical stimulation
- Assistive devices
Ques. What are the early symptoms of Hemiplegia? (3 marks)
Ans. Some of the early symptoms of Hemiplegia include-
- Memory loss
- Trouble in muscular movement
- Trouble in balancing
- Trouble in carrying out daily activities
- Trouble while speaking
- Seizures etc.
Ques. How can brain trauma cause Hemiplegia? (2 marks)
Ans. Severe impact or injury on the brain caused by an accident can sometimes permanently damage the brain and cause Hemiplegia.
Brain trauma can result from a sports injury or automobile collision or any other trauma-causing incident. Whatever the cause it is important to take medical assistance and remedies at the earliest to prevent any further damage to the brain.
Ques. Write down any three causes of Hemiplegia. (3 marks)
Ans. Causes of Hemiplegia can be:
- Strokes: It is known as the major cause of Hemiplegia and can cause paralysis to either left or right side of the body.
- Brain tumour: Paralysis in the body worsens with the growth of the tumour in the brain. Thus, a brain tumour can be another factor that causes Hemiplegia.
- Injury in the central nervous system: Hemiplegia is mainly caused due to a defect or injury in the central nervous system of the body i.e. the spinal cord and the brain.
Ques. Write down the preventive measures that you can take to save yourself from the disease. (3 marks)
Ans. To prevent yourself from contracting the disease-
- Take good care of your health: It is important to take good care of your body if you are suffering from diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. as these diseases can raise the chance of you contracting the disease.
- Wear safety equipment: wear safety equipment such as the car seat belt, helmet, protective gear, etc. when involving yourself in sports or while travelling to protect yourself from any severe injuries that can lead to Hemiplegia.
- Take medical assistance: Infection in the ears and eyes can sometimes spread to parts of the brain, causing Hemiplegia. It is therefore advisable to take medical assistance and preventive measures at the early stage.
Ques. List some treatments for hemiplegia. (4 marks)
Ans. Hemiplegia can be treated via methods that include: Physiotherapy, electrical stimulation, etc. in order to recover from the paralysis.
- Physiotherapy can help people who suffer from hemiplegia to gain their balance ability, build strength and coordinate movement.
- Modified constraint-induced movement therapy can help the functioning part of the body, assisting the weaker part to improve its muscle control and mobility.
- Assistive devices, such as wheelchairs and walkers can help to build muscular control and mobility.
- Electrical stimulation can assist to lower imbalances in the affected side of the damaged nervous system, thus helping to regain mobility.
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