Neurology

A migraine is a type of severe headache. It generally involves throbbing pain or an intense pulsing sensation on one side of the head. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. These attacks can last for hours to days, and often prevent normal daily activities like working, going to school, driving, and shopping. For some warning signs come days before an onset including, constipation, mood swings, cravings, frequent yawning, and increased thirst.

A neurological disorder, epilepsy affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is in the seizure disorder category. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures not caused by some already identifed medical condition.

Brain disease is any disorder of the brain and there are many kinds. The symptoms of brain diseases vary widely. In certain cases, damage is permanent and irreversible. In other cases, treatments such as surgery, medicines, or physical therapy can correct the source of the problem or improve symptoms. A neurological expert should be consulted.

Located within the backbone, the spinal cord is tube-like and contains a bundle of nerves from the base of the brain down the back. The spinal cord serves to carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Spinal cord disease is any disorder or condition causing damage and deterioration to the spinal cord. These conditions may include tumors, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, abscessed, hematomas (bruises), broken vertebral, or degenerative discs.

Back pain can manifest a dull ache, to stabbing, shooting, burning pain. It may also travel down the legs and be exacerbated with movement. If it does not resolve with rest and home care, seek medical attention.

A condition that causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand, carpal tunnel occurs when the nerve that extends the length of the arm is experiencing pressure at the part of the hand with a passage known as the “carpal tunnel.” The central nerve, the median, controls the movement of the thumb and the finger with the exception of the pinky.

Seizures are generally caused by sudden, uncontrolled disturbances in the brain’s electrical activity. Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a concussion, high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal. When a person has two or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy. Epileptic seizures are thought to be traced to genetics, brain injuries or brain structure, or a metabolic circumstance; however, in most people the genesis is unknown.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain are either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen needed, and the brain and brain cells begin to die quickly. Strokes are preventable, but in the case of an occurrence, stroke victims must receive immediate emergency medical intervention.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive, incurable nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. The most common symptom is tremors, but the condition also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement, slurred speech, and decreased facial expression. Parkinson’s disease symptoms worsen over time. Medications and surgery may significantly improve symptoms.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder for which there is no cure. It destroys memory and other key mental functions. Brain cell connections and the brain cells degenerate and die, eventually destroying memory and other important mental functions. While it is incurable, there are medications and other strategies to improve symptoms.

Neuromuscular disorders affect the nerves that control voluntary muscles and the nerves that communicate sensory information back to the brain. Nerve cells send and receive electrical messages to and from the body to help control voluntary muscles. When the nerve cells become compromised or die, communication between the nervous system and muscles is faulty. As a result, muscles weaken and atrophy.

A sleep disorder, apnea causes breathing to be repeatedly interrupted – episodes typically last between 10- to-20 seconds at a rate of from five to over 100 times an hour. The lack of oxygen during an episode shocks the body awake, but usually so fleetingly, it is not remembered. However, the result is disruption to the natural sleep rhythm increasing time spent in light sleep and less in the important deep, restorative sleep essential to energy and sharp mental focus.