The Clostridium botulinum bacteria create a toxin that causes botulism, a serious illness that inhibits muscle activity, which can be life-threatening if it affects the diaphragm. The toxin can also be extracted from the bacteria and used for medicinal purposes in the form of Botox. Small Botox doses are used to treat facial wrinkles, underarm sweating, severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions, and other medical conditions that include spastic muscles, notes MedlinePlus.
Decreased Muscle Spasticity
Drugs.com states that an important medical effect of the botulinum toxin is that is can be used to treat upper limb spasticity in adult patients. Specifically, the botulinum toxin can be injected into the biceps, wrist flexors and finger flexors to prevent or decrease the severity of muscle contractions seen in certain medical conditions. This occurs because small doses paralyze muscles or block nerve signals to muscles that cause contractions. Regular Botox injections in these patients can provide significant relief. If effective, the toxin will improve the patient's ability to complete activities of daily living that may be difficult to achieve with spastic muscles. A patient should let his doctor know if the current dosage is ineffective in treating spasticity.
Reduced Sweating
According to Drugs.com, the botulinum toxin decreases sweat production in the armpit after injection. This procedure can be particularly useful in patients who experience hyperhidrosis, or excessive armpit sweating. The botulinum toxin paralyzes the muscle in sweat glands that cause sweating. The benefits of each procedure generally last about 4 months, and must be repeated to prevent future cases of hyperhidrosis.
Improve Eye Alignment
Opthalmologists can inject Botox into the extraocular muscles of a patient to reduce strabismus, or the misalignment of the eyes, states Drugs.com. This procedure is generally recommended if topical treatments for strabismus are ineffective. To ensure the proper placement of Botox into the correct eye muscles, a physician uses electromyography, or EMG, to find the correct muscles; once identified, small amounts of Botox are injected. Paralysis of the intended muscle gradually occurs over the first week, and generally lasts for 2 to 6 weeks before strabismus reoccurs. At that time, repeat injections may be indicated.
Botulinum Poisoning
In botulism, or botulinum toxin poisoning, the toxin gets into nerve cells and prevents the release of a certain nerve chemical that causes muscle contraction. In large doses, this can cause paralysis and the cessation of breathing, which can result in death. If the botulinum toxin is ingested through food, an antitoxin can be given to help the body get rid of the toxin. In the case of delayed medical treatment, a patient may need to be placed on a ventilator until the toxin is naturally excreted from the body. Therefore, a patient who is experiencing weak muscles and difficulty breathing should not hesitate to seek immediate medical treatment to prevent serious complications.
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