Like polio, acute flaccid myelitis is a severe and rare nerve-related condition among children. It usually comes from a common cold virus and attacks the nerves and spinal cord that go to the muscles.
Generally, it often causes leg and arms muscle paralysis and weakness. Identifying the symptoms of this condition would help get medical care quickly.
What Are The Causes?
Though the cause of acute flaccid myelitis is unknown, medical experts believe that this disease and other diseases like it might be caused by toxins, viruses, or even poisons in the environment. Viruses like adenoviruses, poliovirus, and the West Nile virus have been linked with this condition.
Moreover, non-polio enteroviruses have also been linked to nervous system diseases like this. Before the weakness sets in, the child might suffer from breathing problems, fever, and cold-like illness.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of this condition often include but are not limited to;
- Flabby muscles affect the head, neck, and face of the child. It may also cause one side of the child’s face to fall lower than the other.
- Weakness in the legs and arms.
- Inability to urinate.
- Eye weakness, which could lead to problems in eye movement or drooping eyelids
- Leg and arm pains.
- Nerves and muscles weakness in the respiratory system. Sometimes your child might have breathing issues which could result in respiratory failure. It becomes necessary to procure a ventilator for your child in such situations.
- Nerves and muscles in the throat or mouth become unresponsive and could cause problems with talking or swallowing.
Severe symptoms of this nerve-related condition sometimes result in paralysis or partial paralysis. Additionally, single limbs could be severely affected.
Diagnosis
Sometimes doctors look at the patient’s history when performing a diagnosis. They often want to know the recent health conditions of your child, like a recent cold, upset stomach, cough, or fever.
Additionally, detailed physical examination by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan for potential injuries to the spine and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) lab tests are used to locate infections and rule out other causes.
Preventive Methods
Though there is no specific way of preventing this condition, however, you can prevent viral infections, which would reduce the risk of developing it.
To prevent it, doctors usually recommend that you:
- Adhere to good hand washing practices. Use water and soap and frequently wash to prevent widespread diseases. Also, ensure your children’s hands are washed after touching an animal, using the bathroom, before or after eating, and also before and after touching a sick person.
- Stay away from mosquitoes capable of transmitting diseases by limiting movement when active (dawn and dusk). Additionally, use mosquito repellents and ensure your home is free from water.
- Get regularly scheduled vaccines, especially polio vaccines.
- Reduce contact with sick persons.
- Clean hard surfaces with disinfectants.
- Stop sharing cups, cigarettes, eating utensils, or straws.
Treatment
As of now, there are no specific treatments for this condition currently. Treatments are aimed at managing the symptoms. Neurologists and brain doctors may recommend occupational or physical therapy to help with leg or arm weakness.
Wrap Up
There’s no vaccine for this condition; however, you can lower your child’s chances of getting a virus that may trigger it through the preventive measures above.