HEMIPARESIA: what is it, symptoms, types, causes and treatment

Has it ever happened to you that half of your face and body have lost mobility and strength? Have you noticed certain strange sensations in that half? Perhaps it has happened to you or you know someone who has happened. The truth is that something that happens to many people in the world, suddenly the right or left part of the body does not respond as it used to and problems begin. When these types of situations occur, we are facing hemiparesis. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about hemiparesis: what it is, symptoms, types, causes and treatment.

Index

1. What is hemiparesis
2. Symptoms of hemiparesis
3. Types of hemiparesis
4. Causes of hemiparesis
5. Treatment of hemiparesis

When we speak of hemiparesis, we mean a Difficulty performing movements that occurs in one of the two halves of the human body. On the other hand, this implies a loss of strength on the affected side of the body. In most cases, hemiparesis is related to partial cerebral palsy that affects mobility from the leg, through the trunk and ending in the arm. On some occasions, it is also possible that a sector of the face is altered. However, we must emphasize that the other half of the body remains unaltered in terms of the movements that can be performed.

What are the symptoms of hemiparesis and how is it diagnosed? There are a series of symptoms that allow the diagnosis of hemiparesis. Next, we will mention the most relevant ones:

• Loss of balance
• Difficulty speaking
• Behavior changes
• Alterations in memory and learning new content
• Loss of sensation on one side of the body and / or extremities

It is important to know that the presence of any of these symptoms does not mean that a person has hemiparesis. The health professional will be in charge of making the diagnosis taking into account other important criteria in addition to symptoms.

When we talk about this condition, we must know that there are five types of hemiparesis. The form of clinical presentation will determine the type of hemiparesis that the person has. The different types of hemiparesis are:

• Right spatic hemiparesis: the person has difficulties in understanding and speaking. This type of hemiparesis is caused by lesions on the left side of the brain.
• Left Spatic Hemiparesis: the person presents behavioral problems, difficulty in learning new content, alterations in communication, among others.
• Pure motor hemiparesis: in these cases, difficulties are manifested in the mobility of an arm, a leg and / or the face on one side of the body. It can occur on both the right side and the left side.
• Ataxia: coordination difficulties, vertigo problems, and loss of balance are common. This type of hemiparesis is caused by lesions in the lower sector of the brain.
• Ataxic hemiparesic syndrome: numbness of a sector of the body, especially the leg.

What Causes Hemiparesis? There are several reasons that cause hemiparesis, and the evolution of the condition will depend on the characteristics of each person. This means that the age, medical history, and lifestyle of the person directly influence the development of the type of hemiparesis that occurs. Next, we will describe the most common causes of hemiparesis:

• Accidents that cause lesions in any area of ​​the brain, including CVA (Stroke) and cerebral venous thrombosis.
• Neurological diseases that directly affect the brain and / or bone marrow.
• Cancer that spreads to the brain.

It is important that we know that hemiparesis occurs when the amount of blood in the brain decreases. This can cause many neurons to stop working properly and some areas of the body to be altered.

Beyond the type of hemiparesis that a person can present, there are some treatments that can improve the patient's prognosis. Currently, it is possible for a person with hemiparesis to be treated by different healthcare professionals. Treatments for hemiparesis are as follows:

• Physiotherapy: the patient can progressively regain mobility in the affected areas through some physical exercises. One of the physiotherapies that has better results is neuroplasticity, which consists of connecting certain neurons to healthy areas of the brain. Other methods that can help regain mobility are mirror therapy, FitMi home therapy, among others. A qualified professional will guide the necessary hemiparesis exercises for each patient.
• Psychological therapy: In many cases, it may happen that the patient feels fear, anguish and / or anxiety about the affected areas of the body. Regardless of the cause of the hemiparesis, this may produce unpleasant thoughts and emotions. Psychological therapy can help resolve conflicts caused by hemiparesis.

This article aims to provide information, in Psychology-Online we do not try to provide a diagnosis. We suggest you consult with a mental health specialist so that he or she can help you.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Hemiparesis: what is it, symptoms, types, causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Neuropsychology.

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