What is Paralysis

Overview of Paralysis

Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. The word comes from the Greek παράλυσις, "disabling of the nerves", itself from παρά (para), "beside, by" + λύσις (lusis), "loosing" and that from λύω (luō), "to loose".

Causes

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, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), botulism, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Temporary paralysis occurs during REM sleep, and dysregulation 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.

Pseudo paralysis (pseudo- meaning "false, not genuine", from Greek ψεῦδος) is voluntary restriction or inhibition of motion because of pain, in coordination, or other cause, and is not due to actual muscular paralysis. In an infant, it may be a symptom of congenital syphilis.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralysis

Sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a weird disorder that makes the person unable to move during sleep. You cannot begin to imagine how horrified a person can be to realize they cannot move and at the same time having the feeling of levitation and seeing ghastly figures. Whatever the case, sleep paralysis is a wake-up call for those who can’t seem to have enough sleep and are too stressed during the day.

Sleep paralysis is a condition witch enables restrains one person from moving during the hypnagogic period (the first hours of sleep) or the hypnopompic period (the period before the person wakes up). In both cases the person suffering from sleep paralysis cannot make any movement, has the feeling of suffocation or sees ghastly creatures. Along the years there were a lot of explanations for sleep paralysis like aliens, paralysis demons or watching to much TV but it has been proven to be a simple medical condition even though not much is known about it. Some experts say that sleep paralysis is hereditary and can be transmitted from parent to child. Everyone can suffer from sleep paralysis but it was shown that teenagers are more predisposed to have it. Some of the main causes of sleep paralysis are substance abuse, nighttime leg cramps, stress, insomnia or sleeping on your back. The symptoms of this disorder are practically the same in every person; the feeling of being choked, seeing ghostlike creatures or the feeling of levitation. One of the causes of sleep paralysis is the simple fact of being aware that you are too relaxed. When you go to sleep, your body relaxes and if you wake up during this state you could get the feeling of being unable to move. This happens during the hypnagogic period of your sleep. During the hypnopompic period your body goes through two different sleep types: the non rapid eye movement period (NREM) and the rapid eye movement (REM). Both REM and NREM take about 90 minutes of your sleep. The NREM period is that in witch the body regenerates its energy. After this the body turns itself to REM during witch the muscles are basically turned off. If you wake up before the REM period is over you will have the feeling of being paralyzed.

The only cure for sleep paralysis is for you to realize that you are living a not so healthy lifestyle. You should get more sleep and take a break once in a while from your work just to relax a little bit. Do this and you won’t wake up during the night and realize you cannot move at all.

Source: http://www.paralyzed.com/