Paresis

{{Short description|Medical condition characterized by muscle weakness}}

{{About|the physical malady|the mental disorder|general paresis of the insane}}

{{distinguish|Paruresis|Parecis (disambiguation){{!}}Parecis}}

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|symptoms = Loss of motor skills

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In medicine, paresis ({{IPAc-en|p|ə|ˈ|r|iː|s|ɪ|s|,_|ˈ|p|æ|r|ə|s|ɪ|s}}), compound word from Greek {{langx|grc|πάρεσις}}, (πᾰρᾰ- “beside” + ἵημι “let go, release”), is a condition typified by a weakness of voluntary movement, or by partial loss of voluntary movement or by impaired movement. When used without qualifiers, it usually refers to the limbs, but it can also be used to describe the muscles of the eyes (ophthalmoparesis), the stomach (gastroparesis), and also the vocal cords (vocal cord paresis).

Neurologists use the term paresis to describe weakness, and plegia to describe paralysis in which all voluntary movement is lost. The term paresis comes from the {{langx|grc| πάρεσις}} 'letting go' from παρίημι 'to let go, to let fall'.

Types

=Limbs=

Monoparesis – One leg or one arm
Paraparesis – Both legs
Hemiparesis – The loss of function to only one side of the body
Triparesis – Three limbs. This can either mean both legs and one arm, both arms and a leg, or a combination of one arm, one leg, and face
Double hemiparesis – All four limbs are involved, but one side of the body is more affected than the other
Tetraparesis – All four limbs
Quadriparesis – All four limbs, equally affected
These terms frequently refer to the impairment of motion in multiple sclerosis{{MedlinePlusEncyclopedia|000748}} and cerebral palsy{{Cite news|url=http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/types-and-forms|title=Types of Cerebral Palsy|work=cerebralpalsy.org|access-date=2017-05-23|language=en}}

=Other=

Gastroparesis – impaired stomach emptying
A form of ophthalmoplegia
Spastic paresis – exaggerated tendon reflexes and muscle hypertonia{{cite book |last=Young |first=Robert |editor-first=Jack |editor-last=Burks |title=Multiple Sclerosis - Diagnosis, Medical Management and Rehabilitation |publisher=Demos Medical Publishing, Inc. |year=2000 |pages=299 |chapter=Chapter 15: Spastic Paresis |isbn=1-888799-35-8}}
In the past, the term was most commonly used to refer to "general paresis", which was a symptom of untreated syphilis. However, due to improvements in treatment of syphilis, it is now rarely used in this context.

References

External links

[http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/paresis.html Overview]
[http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html Hind Limb Paresis and Paralysis in Rabbits]

Category:Symptoms and signs

Category:Medical terminology