Home Care:

Sudden loss of muscle function is a medical emergency. Seek immediate medical help.

After you have received medical treatment, your doctor may recommend some of the following measures:

• Follow your prescribed therapy.
• If the nerves to your face or head are damaged, you may have difficulty chewing and swallowing or closing your eyes. In these cases, a soft diet may be recommended. You will also need some form of eye protection, such as a patch over the eye while you are asleep.
• Long-term immobility can cause serious complications. Change positions often and take care of your skin. Range-of-motion exercises may help to maintain some muscle tone.
• Splints may help prevent muscle contractures, a condition in which a muscle becomes permanently shortened.

Call your health care provider if:

Muscle paralysis always requires immediate medical attention. If you notice gradual weakening or problems with a muscle, get medical attention as soon as possible.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The doctor will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:

• Location
  • What part(s) of the body are affected?
  • Does it affect one or both sides of the body?
  • Did it develop in a top-to-bottom pattern (descending paralysis), or a bottom-to-top pattern (ascending paralysis)?
  • Do you have difficulty getting out of a chair or climbing stairs?
  • Do you have difficulty lifting your arm above your head?
  • Do you have problems extending or lifting your wrist (wrist drop)?
  • Do you have difficulty gripping (grasping)?
• Symptoms
  • Do you have pain?
  • Do you have numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation?
  • Do you have difficulty controlling your bladder or bowels?
  • Do you have shortness of breath?
  • What other symptoms do you have?
• Time pattern
  • Do episodes occur repeatedly (recurrent)?
  • How long do they last?
  • Is the muscle function loss getting worse (progressive)?
  • Is it progressing slowly or quickly?
  • Does it become worse over the course of the day?
• Aggravating and relieving factors
  • What, if anything, makes the paralysis worse?
  • Does it get worse after you take potassium supplements by mouth?
  • Is it better after you rest?

Tests that may be performed include:

• Blood studies (such as CBC, white blood cell differential, blood chemistry levels, or muscle enzyme levels)
• CT scan or MRI of the head or spine
• Myelography
• Nerve conduction studies and electromyography
• Muscle or nerve biopsy

Intravenous feeding or feeding tubes may be required in severe cases. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy may be recommended.