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Paresis ( "letting go, paralysis") is a condition typified by partial loss of movement, or impaired movement. When used without qualifiers, it usually refers to the limbs, but it also can be used to describe the muscles of the eyes (
ophthalmoparesisOphthalmoparesis or ophthalmoplegia is a physical finding in certain neurologic illnesses. It refers to paralysis of the one or more extraocular muscles which are responsible for eye movements.-Classification:...
) and also the
stomachIn most mammals, the stomach is a hollow, muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract , between the esophagus and the small intestine. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication . The word stomach is derived from the Latin stomachus, which derives from the Greek word...
(
gastroparesisGastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a medical condition consisting of a paresis of the stomach, resulting in food remaining in the stomach for a longer period of time than normal. Normally, the stomach contracts to move food down into the small intestine for digestion. The...
). Neurologists use the term paresis to describe weakness, and plegia to describe
paralysisParalysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area.-Causes:Paralysis is most often caused by damage to the nervous system, especially the spinal cord...
in which all movement is lost.
Limbs
- Monoparesis -- One leg or one arm
- Paraparesis -- Both legs
- Hemiparesis
Hemiparesis is weakness on one side of the body. Contrast with Hemiplegia, which is total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on the same side of the body...
-- One arm and one leg on either side of the body
- Tetraparesis -- All four limbs
These terms frequently refer to the impairment of motion in
multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an idiopathic disease of suspected autoimmune cause, in which the body's immune response attacks a person's central nervous system , leading to demyelination. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in females...
.
Other
- Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a medical condition consisting of a paresis of the stomach, resulting in food remaining in the stomach for a longer period of time than normal. Normally, the stomach contracts to move food down into the small intestine for digestion. The...
-- Impaired stomach emptying
- It is also used to describe a form of ophthalmoplegia.
- In the past, the term was most commonly used to refer to "General paresis," which was a symptom of untreated syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The route of transmission of syphilis is almost always through sexual contact, although there are examples of congenital syphilis via transmission from mother to child in utero.The...
. However, due to improvements in treatment of syphilis, it is now rarely used in this context.
See also
- Ataxia
Ataxia is a neurological sign and symptom consisting of gross lack of coordination of muscle movements. Ataxia is a non-specific clinical manifestation implying dysfunction of parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, such as the cerebellum...
- Malaise
Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease...
- Asthenia
Asthenia is a medical term denoting symptoms of physical weakness and loss of strength.A condition in which the body lacks or has lost strength either as a whole or in any of its parts...
- Debility
In general, debility refers to a loss of strength.In medicine, debility refers to being weak or feeble....
- Muscle weakness
Muscle weakness, also known as muscle fatigue, is a direct term for the inability to exert force with one's muscles to the degree that would be expected given the individual's general physical fitness. A test of strength is often used during a diagnosis of a muscular disorder before the etiology...
- Fatigue (physical)
Fatigue is a state of awareness. It can describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles. It can be both physical and mental...
- Atony
In medicine, atony refers to a muscle that has lost its strength. It is frequently associated with the conditions Atonic seizure, Atonic colon, Uterine atony, Gastrointestinal atony and choreatic atonia....
- Hypotonia
Hypotonia is a disorder that causes low muscle tone , often involving reduced muscle strength. Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders that affect motor nerve control by the brain or muscle strength...
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