Vasantha Hospital

Seasonal influenza is a disease that can be potentially fatal if it is not treated on time. This is an infection-based ailment that can affect people differently in different seasons. Let us find out more about the symptoms, treatment and vaccination for this viral infection.

Symptoms: Those suffering from this sickness will usually experience rapidly rising temperature and fever along with chills and body ache. It will also cause a cough and sore throat which will hurt even while eating and gulping fluids. A runny nose is also a common symptom of this condition along with headaches. Vomiting and loose motions will also be experienced by the patients, especially children.

Complications and onset: The onset of this condition happens with the transfer of droplets in a person’s cough or sneeze. If you are in close physical contact with someone who is already suffering from this condition, then getting exposed to these droplets when a person sneezes or coughs can lead to the spread of the disease. This is a contagious condition that usually calls for immediate hospitalisation so that it may be treated properly under due medical intervention. This condition may also cause bacterial pneumonia as well as other potentially fatal conditions like heart failure, extreme sinus infection and dehydration. Also, it may give rise to other ailments like diabetes and asthma in the long run.

Prevention: One of the most important ways of preventing this condition is with the help of the influenza vaccine. This vaccine is usually taken once a year so that you are protected against an entire cycle of 12 months, which includes various seasonal changes.

The vaccine: The seasonal influenza vaccine is usually administered to newborn babies every few months. As the child grows older, the vaccine may be administered once every six months or once a year, eventually. Adults must also take this vaccine at least once a year. This is because the immunity of an infant will be more delicate than the immunity of a growing child and adult. This vaccine must be administered by a doctor only.

Facts about the vaccine: With the help of this vaccine, the antibody production in the body is encouraged. This leads to protection when it comes to a variety of infections. The viruses contained in the vaccine are known to protect the body against four kinds of infection viruses. There are various kinds of this vaccine, including the standardised dose that contains trivalent shots containing the virus that has been grown in an egg. The other kinds include the quadrivalent flu vaccine that is appropriate for various age groups. The former is usually given to infants and toddlers, while the latter is administered to adults.

Physiotherapy and sleep paralysis have a deep connection when you have to treat sleep paralyses the intelligent way. To discover the benefits of physiotherapy in healing sleep paralysis, let's get a clear understanding of sleep paralyses first and then the role of physiotherapy. 

What is sleep paralysis and its common causes?
Sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder, its symptoms are such  that you suddenly feel in the middle of the night or in mid sleep that you can't move, react, talk, etc. and feel that your body has frozen. This immobility is accompanied with frightful or eerie visions or sounds, which are not the reality and you still hallucinate. 
This is often caused because of the following reasons, which are considered common causes of sleep paralysis:

• A medical condition called narcolepsy
• No fixed time of sleeping and waking, thus creating imbalance in sleep patterns
• Inadequate sleep through the 24 hours
• Excessive stress and workload
• Alcohol consumption or drug abuse
• A bad diet like heavy meals at night before bedtime
• Extreme caffeine consumption

If any of these things are common, you may get a sleep paralysis.

Physiotherapy in healing sleep paralysis:
If it is a one night episode, you will eventually forget this. However, in case you are a victim every night or frequently, you may need some good remedies. Medications may not suit all, but physiotherapy is a safe mode of treatment, which suits all and people of all ages. That is why try physiotherapy for sleep paralysis at home or by going to a nearest physiotherapy center or expert.

How physiotherapy helps
Physiotherapy has some unique benefits like:

1. It brings a balance in blood circulation through the body, which helps in lowering the blood pressure, normalize mood, reduce stress, and makes the blood flow to the body organs and brain better, thus inducing a good night's sleep.
2. The exercise induced on to the body through physiotherapy has a dual effect. It makes the muscles workout, and induces the massage effect too. This makes the muscles more mobile, and brings warmth on the tissues. That is why exercising before bedtime can help you get a very peaceful sleep without fearful dreams and interferences of sleep paralysis attacks.
3. You get a better mood due to increased blood circulation and the feeling of well-being due to the agile and worked out muscles. This good mood and satisfaction after a nice physiotherapy session sometime before you sleep lets the serotonin or happiness and satisfaction hormone build up in the body and brain. This makes you sleep without stress and in a nice mood thus resisting sleep paralysis. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a physiotherapist.

There are a variety of reasons why a person can fall sick. A good number of these illnesses cannot be prevented though a person may take general precautions. Having said that, in the case of influenza, it can be prevented to a large extent and it does not seem all that smart to avoid taking easy precautions when one has an option, right?

Every year, thousands of people die from influenza, which is so unfortunate because an annual shot can reduce that number by almost 60 percent. So what exactly makes a flu shot or vaccine work? As a result of the vaccine, after about two weeks or so, antibodies begin to develop in the body. These antibodies help fight off infection, specifically the kind that is targeted by the vaccine. It is important to get vaccinated for this flu on an annual basis.

Choosing the right flu shot
Considering the great number of options there are when it comes to flu vaccines, which are the ones to be injected? It is a good idea to get the opinion of a doctor to see which one to choose. This is because the choice is dependent on a variety of factors, which a medical professional would be able to assess appropriately. Note that it is important not to use the nasal spray version of the vaccine as the medical authorities have recently found that it is not as effective a method as it once was.

When should you get it?
Flu season does vary across the world, but in the US, it starts in about October and goes on till May. During this time, the flu viruses are a lot more active. When one gets a flu shot, it is this period that one needs to look out for. So, it is better to get vaccinated in late September or the start of October, so that there is minimal unprotected exposure to the viruses.

Who is it for?
It is to be kept in mind that every individual who is older than six months should be vaccinated. While it is said that getting a vaccine shot year after year reduces its effectiveness, it is still important to do so. This is because each year, the shot is altered to reflect the biggest virus threats in that year. There might be few side effects of the flu vaccine such as redness in the injected area, soreness or swelling. However, as long as one gets a flu shot in time, it is almost a given that there will be almost no time spent ‘down with the flu’. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a general physician.

Paralysis can be concluded as the state when the muscles lose functioning in any part of the body. Any kind of disruption in our nerve system can be responsible enough to cause paralysis. Our central nervous system and peripheral nervous system communicate and control our senses of movement. But interruption in nerve impulses can cause weakness in muscles which leads to muscle paralysis.

Symptoms
A paralysed patient will encounter symptoms like:

1. Decreasing the motor power
2. Decreasing vasomotor control
3. Loss of sensation
4. Decreasing bowel and bladder control
5. Losing the ability of sexual function.

When it comes to treating a paralysis patient, physiotherapy is proven to be the best remedy. Physiotherapy has thoroughly helped patients with paralysis in getting to feel confident and independent. Physiotherapy includes various exercises and techniques which are developed with time in order to provide a complete rehabilitation to the patients.

Types of paralysis:
There are mainly four types of paralysis

1. Monoplegia: when one limb gets paralysed
2. Hemiplegia: when arm and leg of a single side get paralysed
3. Paraplegia: when legs get paralysed
4. Quadriplegia: when both sides get paralysed

Treating paralysis with physiotherapy

1. Physiotherapy is advised to patients with any type of paralysis. It should be started soon in order to improve blood circulation in the muscles. It also helps in relaxing the stiff muscles. This treatment improves the overall health condition of the patient.
2. Physiotherapy is also responsible for reducing any kind of swelling which takes place due to external brain injury.
3. Physiotherapy is helpful in making the patient stable and independent.
4. It also helps in maintaining the blood pressure.
5. It helps to improve the respiratory system.
6. Physiotherapy maintains the affected muscles and nerves. It provides strength to the affected muscles and works to prevent the limbs from getting deformed.
7. One major symptom of paralysis is a loss of bladder and bowel function. Physiotherapy helps in managing the paralysed bowel and bladder.
8. Physiotherapy involves different techniques which can be learnt from a physiotherapist in order to transfer a paralysed patient.
9. Othorsis, canes, braces, splints are the equipment that are advised to the patient by a professional physiotherapist.
10. Physiotherapy helps in resolving problems such as anxiety, anger, depression, denial which takes place after post-paralysis mental trauma.
11. Physiotherapist provides safeguarding tips to the patient and his or her family in order to avoid accidents.
12. Physiotherapy has a big role in creating the motivation in patient's mind.

These are the benefits of physiotherapy which help the paralyzed limbs getting stronger and better. But it is always advised to be done under a professional physiotherapist.