Seven Cerebral Palsy Complications That You Should Know About!
Often diagnosed in infants and toddlers, Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that affect movement, muscle tone, coordination, and motor skills caused by damage or abnormalities in the developing brain. It appears in infancy or early childhood, and the symptoms may vary from person-to-person and range from mild to severe (depending on the affected part of the brain).
The common symptoms of Cerebral Palsy involve any combination of the following — lack of muscle control, diminished coordination, trouble speaking, cognitive deficits, and problems with chewing and swallowing.
Complications of Cerebral Palsy
No two cases of Cerebral Palsy are alike. Hence, knowing what complications occur more often can help families and individuals seek the best Cerebral Palsy treatment. Here are the seven most common complications of the disorder.
Muscular Complications
The most common complications of Cerebral Palsy is related to slowed or altered growth and development in the muscles and bones. It may lead to the affected muscles and bones gradually becoming stiff, spastic, rigid, or thin. It can also further lead to contractures, which causes deformities in the joints and bones.
Painful degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis may set in quite early due to muscle spasticity.
Choking and Aspiration Pneumonia
Trouble swallowing food, drinks, and saliva can result in choking, coughing, or gagging while eating or drinking. Often, choking on food may cause it to go down the trachea, which leads to the lungs, instead of down the esophagus, which leads to the stomach. When this happens, aspiration pneumonia — a lung infection that may cause sepsis or even death if left untreated — can occur .
Intellectual, Language, and Learning Disabilities
People with Spastic Quadriplegia — a form of CP where all four limbs are affected, often have a cognitive or intellectual disability. Learning disabilities are also more common, as some people with Cerebral Palsy especially struggle with receiving spatial and auditory information and making sense of it. Others struggle with speech difficulties such as pronouncing or recalling words, difficulty articulating clearly, or shaping words with their mouths.
Facial-Motor and Oral Problems
Some people with Cerebral Palsy do not have control over their facial muscles. Poor control of eye muscles may cause slow or rapid blinking that interferes with sight. An inability to fully control the muscles of the lips, jaw, throat, and tongue, can also lead to drooling and difficulty in chewing or swallowing. These problems often then interfere with healthy eating, putting the person at risk for malnutrition.
Vision and Hearing Impairment
Vision impairment is a common complication among people with Cerebral Palsy. Sight problems may involve poor vision in one or both eyes, such as blurriness or inability to see very far ahead of them. It may also lead to the eyes appearing 'crossed' that can affect depth perception — the ability to tell how far away or close something is. The disorder can also lead to hearing difficulties, ranging from partial hearing loss to complete deafness.
Psychiatric Conditions
Individuals with Cerebral Palsy are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. They may also experience isolation and stigma due to difficulties in managing their condition or frustration with restrictions on their activities. Inability to go about and socialize can also contribute to it.
Chronic Disease and Infections
People with Cerebral Palsy are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, and pneumonia than the average population. While some lung problems result from inhaling food into the lungs, others relate to muscles that make it harder to breathe.
Treatment Options for Cerebral Palsy
Children and adults with Cerebral Palsy require long-term physical and mental care. While there is no cure yet for the disorder, several treatments are available (depending upon its severity). Some of the best Cerebral Palsy treatment options are:
Physical Therapy
It includes muscle training and exercises that help the strength, flexibility, balance, and motor development, and mobility of an individual with Cerebral Palsy.
Occupational Therapy
This treatment helps regain control of the body by assisting the person with Cerebral Palsy perform daily activities independently. With the help of equipment such as braces, canes, wheelchairs, and others, he can handle their motion skills.
Speech and Language Therapy
Individuals with Cerebral Palsy may have severe deficits in their oral structures, causing swallowing and speech difficulties. This therapy uses various techniques to enhance the oral-motor function and facilitate communication.
Stem Cell Therapy
It is a regenerative treatment that involves the replacement of damaged cells with stem cells. This treatment is quickly gaining popularity as a potential treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Early results indicate that it is the best Cerebral Palsy treatment option when combined with others.
The common symptoms of Cerebral Palsy involve any combination of the following — lack of muscle control, diminished coordination, trouble speaking, cognitive deficits, and problems with chewing and swallowing.
Complications of Cerebral Palsy
No two cases of Cerebral Palsy are alike. Hence, knowing what complications occur more often can help families and individuals seek the best Cerebral Palsy treatment. Here are the seven most common complications of the disorder.
Muscular Complications
The most common complications of Cerebral Palsy is related to slowed or altered growth and development in the muscles and bones. It may lead to the affected muscles and bones gradually becoming stiff, spastic, rigid, or thin. It can also further lead to contractures, which causes deformities in the joints and bones.
Painful degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis may set in quite early due to muscle spasticity.
Choking and Aspiration Pneumonia
Trouble swallowing food, drinks, and saliva can result in choking, coughing, or gagging while eating or drinking. Often, choking on food may cause it to go down the trachea, which leads to the lungs, instead of down the esophagus, which leads to the stomach. When this happens, aspiration pneumonia — a lung infection that may cause sepsis or even death if left untreated — can occur .
Intellectual, Language, and Learning Disabilities
People with Spastic Quadriplegia — a form of CP where all four limbs are affected, often have a cognitive or intellectual disability. Learning disabilities are also more common, as some people with Cerebral Palsy especially struggle with receiving spatial and auditory information and making sense of it. Others struggle with speech difficulties such as pronouncing or recalling words, difficulty articulating clearly, or shaping words with their mouths.
Facial-Motor and Oral Problems
Some people with Cerebral Palsy do not have control over their facial muscles. Poor control of eye muscles may cause slow or rapid blinking that interferes with sight. An inability to fully control the muscles of the lips, jaw, throat, and tongue, can also lead to drooling and difficulty in chewing or swallowing. These problems often then interfere with healthy eating, putting the person at risk for malnutrition.
Vision and Hearing Impairment
Vision impairment is a common complication among people with Cerebral Palsy. Sight problems may involve poor vision in one or both eyes, such as blurriness or inability to see very far ahead of them. It may also lead to the eyes appearing 'crossed' that can affect depth perception — the ability to tell how far away or close something is. The disorder can also lead to hearing difficulties, ranging from partial hearing loss to complete deafness.
Psychiatric Conditions
Individuals with Cerebral Palsy are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. They may also experience isolation and stigma due to difficulties in managing their condition or frustration with restrictions on their activities. Inability to go about and socialize can also contribute to it.
Chronic Disease and Infections
People with Cerebral Palsy are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, and pneumonia than the average population. While some lung problems result from inhaling food into the lungs, others relate to muscles that make it harder to breathe.
Treatment Options for Cerebral Palsy
Children and adults with Cerebral Palsy require long-term physical and mental care. While there is no cure yet for the disorder, several treatments are available (depending upon its severity). Some of the best Cerebral Palsy treatment options are:
Physical Therapy
It includes muscle training and exercises that help the strength, flexibility, balance, and motor development, and mobility of an individual with Cerebral Palsy.
Occupational Therapy
This treatment helps regain control of the body by assisting the person with Cerebral Palsy perform daily activities independently. With the help of equipment such as braces, canes, wheelchairs, and others, he can handle their motion skills.
Speech and Language Therapy
Individuals with Cerebral Palsy may have severe deficits in their oral structures, causing swallowing and speech difficulties. This therapy uses various techniques to enhance the oral-motor function and facilitate communication.
Stem Cell Therapy
It is a regenerative treatment that involves the replacement of damaged cells with stem cells. This treatment is quickly gaining popularity as a potential treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Early results indicate that it is the best Cerebral Palsy treatment option when combined with others.
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