The 2 Types Of Myelitis: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Myelitis is a condition that occurs in neuronal axons and usually causes important changes in their electrical activity, as well as in the activity of the immune system.
There are two main types of myelitis that vary depending on the cause, the severity of the damage and the symptoms specific. We will see below what each one is about, what the main causes are and what their treatment is.
Myelitis is a spinal cord inflammation which can significantly affect the responses emitted from the brain to the rest of the body, and vice versa.
The above occurs because this inflammation can cause a decrease or significant damage to myelin, a lipid substance that covers neuronal axons. This substance has among its responsibilities to regulate the speed of conduction of electrical impulses between neurons, so an alteration of its functions produces changes in their activity.
On the other hand, myelitis It can be caused by infections derived from different viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites In these cases, the spinal cord is affected by an immune system response that, instead of creating antibodies to counteract the viruses, reproduces the same virus causing inflammation. For this reason, it is considered a type of autoimmune disease.
Two types of myelitis: their differences
Myelitis commonly occurs in a narrow region within the spinal cord. However, in some cases It can spread to other areas, generating different damages and symptoms When it is a specific region it is usually due to an infection, while when it is an extension to other areas it is usually a process of multi-causal myelin decrease.
According to the above, two main types of myelitis are usually recognized: poliomyelitis and transverse myelitis. Let’s see their differences.
1. Poliomyelitis
Also called polio or infantile paralysis, it is a myelitis caused by viral infections It usually affects the gray matter, which produces symptoms such as muscle paralysis (in many cases permanent, but not necessarily) and excessive fatigue.
In the event that the polio virus affects the spine, common symptoms are leg paralysis. Mild symptoms include headaches, fever, and pain in the extremities
On the other hand, if the polio virus affects the bulbar region of the brain, the affected area is the white matter and cranial nerves, which produces paralysis of the muscles of the face and symptoms such as encephalitis, difficulty breathing or speaking. and swallow. Another way myelitis has been called when it affects the white matter is leukomyelitis, a condition related to similar diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Finally, if the virus affects the bulbospinal region and associated cranial nerves can cause paralysis of the diaphragm, inflammation of the lungs and affect cardiac functions.
It is usually transmitted through infected fecal matter, which in turn can be found in contaminated food and water. Less frequently it is transmitted through saliva. For its diagnosis, a stool analysis is performed, or an examination of the activity of antibodies in the blood.
Polio can be prevented by a vaccine (polio vaccine). However, there is no definitive cure. Pharmacological treatment consists of taking antibiotics to prevent major infections, analgesics for pain control, and moderate exercise along with physical therapy and nutritious diets.
Transverse myelitis is caused by a process of thinning of myelin (demyelination) on the sides of the spinal cord. It is called “transverse” precisely because inflammation extends to both sides , although in some cases it may affect only one of them. In the latter case, it is called “partial transverse myelitis.”
It generally causes symptoms such as excessive tiredness or weakness and numbness in the extremities, sometimes accompanied by headaches and muscle aches. It also causes changes in sensitivity and motor skills, in urethral function and in the anal sphincter. In some cases it also affects the autonomic nervous system, which can cause episodes of hypertension.
It is a heterogeneous condition, whose causes can be diverse. For example, it can be caused by infections, but also by disorders of the immune system, damage to nerve fibers and damage to myelin sheaths, which in turn can cause important changes in the conduction of electrical signals between neurons The definitive and underlying cause of the latter is so far unknown.
For the same reason there is no definitive cure. Treatment is usually symptomatic, that is, it seeks to reduce each of the symptoms according to their particular nature. It may include physical therapy to recover some motor functions, as well as the use of support tools that allow these functions to be replaced or enhanced.
