MYELITIS

Categories: Diseases of The Nervous System

Myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord.


Causes. It may occur at any age, and is more common in male than in

female. The exciting causes are prolonged exposure to severe colds, too

great mental and physical exertion, sexual excess, blows, bleeding into

the cord, alcoholic excess, acute infectious diseases, syphilis, etc.



Symptoms. These depend upon the location of the inflammation and the

se erity. The onset may be sudden or gradual--when it is sudden, there may

be a chill followed by a fever of 101 to 103 degrees--general feeling of

illness, loss of appetite, with coated tongue and constipation. There may

be over-sensitiveness to pain and touch. Pain may radiate from the back

into the limbs, with numbing and tingling of the limbs. The urine may be

retained or may dribble away. Usually there is obstinate constipation.

There is frequently the feeling of a band around the body. Paralysis may

follow in the lower extremities and higher up, sometimes, depending upon

how high up in the cord the inflammation exists. This paralysis may cause

no motion of the limbs or produce an exaggerated contracting of the

affected muscles, the knees being drawn up on the abdomen and the heels

touching the buttocks.






Recovery. Chances for recovery depend upon the cause. Most cases are

chronic and may last for years.



Treatment. Treatment depends also upon the cause. Rest in bed;

counter-irritation, wet cupping, with care on account of bed sores. A

water-bed from the first may prevent bed-sores. The urine must be drawn if

it is retained. The medical treatment must be carefully given and a

physician of experience should be obtained.