Hemiparesis is a weakening or incomplete paralysis of one side of the body. This disease occurs as a result of damage to the cortical neurons of the brain. There is right and left hemiparesis, sometimes lower and upper hemiparesis occurs, in which only one limb suffers. For a more complete description of the disease, an expanded designation of paresis is used: "paraparesis" - legs or arms are paralyzed on one side, and "tetraparesis" - all four limbs are paralyzed. The form of this disease in which the limbs of the same name are affected (mostly arms) is called spastic hemiparesis.
Depending on the location of the lesion, the symptoms of damage to the cerebral cortex will be different. The main symptoms include: speech impairment, agnosia, the presence of cognitive and cortical disorders, apraxia, sensitivity disorders, as well as the periodic occurrence of epileptic seizures.
If right-side or left-side hemiparesis extends only to the muscles of the face, arms or legs without any other symptoms, this indicates the presence of separate small foci of lesion in the leg of the brain, in the posterior part of the inner capsule or in the upper part of the varolian bridge. Hemiparesis in children can be caused by various disorders of the structure of the brain, in the presence of congenital malformations of the brain and spinal cord, injuries of the spine and head. In addition, paresis can be caused by pinching of nerve endings located in the spinal column, atrophy of peripheral nerves, and impaired brain activity. Usually, when brain disorders occur, paresis of the limbs occurs on the opposite side of the body, i.e. with violations in the left hemisphere, paresis of the right limbs occurs and vice versa.
The treatment of hemiparesis of any type, first of all, should begin with the elimination of the cause that provoked their occurrence, since without systemic therapy of the main disease, it is impossible to completely remove the paresis phenomenon and to restore normal innervation of the affected limbs.
Most often, this disease occurs in people who have any developmental abnormalities. In this case, right-sided and left-sided hemiparesis can develop as a result of a pathological process characterized by epileptic seizures, which has led to the development of such pathologies as an abscess or brain tumor and arteriovenous aneurysm.
In the presence of this disease, prolonged headaches can occur, acute for a long time (weeks and even months). In this case, headaches can have different localization. Also the signs of this disease include: general fatigue, fever, sudden weight loss, lack of appetite and joint pain. However, a standard, strictly limited set of symptoms does not exist, since they depend on many factors, including the age of the patient.
Left-sided hemiparesis can be congenital and appear immediately after birth. To increase the chances of recovery, treatment should be started immediately. After the final diagnosis, the child is prescribed a course of treatment, which must be strictly adhered to. In addition to drug treatment, a course of special gymnastics is mandatory. Classes should continue at home, as there is a special set of exercises that you must perform daily and take the child to the hospital will be too problematic and troublesome.
With timely, competent treatment and perseverance in most cases, this pathology can be completely eliminated. There are many examples when, having been born with this pathology, the child looks almost healthy by the first grade, and when he reaches adolescence, the disease completely recedes.