Neurological disorders are pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system as a whole. To expanciate, this is an infection of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. They are about over 600 diseases that affect the nervous system. There are several causes of this disease which could range from infections, environmental factors, genetics, trauma, lifestyle causes, and nutritional factors.
What are the Symptoms of Neurological Disorders?
Here are the most common neurological disorders and their signs and symptoms.
Migraine
This is a very disturbing ailment accompanied with frequent headaches as a result of serious neurological changes in the brain. The duration of a headache can last from two days or more and can be either moderate or severe. The typical symptoms related to migraines are:
- Photophobia which is sensitivity to light,
- Repeated vomiting and nausea,
- Sensitivity to light and smell,
- Problem with speech,
- Problem with vision
- Patient complains of seeing spots or flashing lights
- Severe pain which patient describes is as pounding and it is usually one-sided.
This can be triggered by stress, certain kinds of food, hormonal changes, some kind of intense stimuli like loud noises or smell.
Multiple Sclerosis
This is a disease that causes affection of the spinal cord nerve cells and brain and can be potentially disabling. In this disease, the protective sheath attacks the immune system, and this sheath which is myelin covers the nerve fibers. After this attack, there is a problem in communication between the rest of the body and the brain. In the long run, the pathology can lead nerves to deteriorate and sometimes get destroyed permanently. Furthermore, depending on the quantity of destroyed nerve and those that are involved, patients who have severe multiple sclerosis can end up with a walking disability with partial or complete assistance though others may experience remission without the appearance of new symptoms for an extended period. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis are
- Tiredness,
- Complete or partial vision loss, most time it is in one eye usually pain while the eye is moving.
- Pain or a tingling sensation in parts of the body.
- Lack of coordination, tremor or gait that is not steady.
- Mumbling
- The sensation of electric shock which occurs when the neck is moved most times in a forward motion.
- Double vision for a long time
- One or more limbs may get weak or numb which typically happens on one side of the body at a time; it may be the legs or trunk.
- Bowel and bladder dysfunction.
- Difficulties in thinking and memory.
Stroke
This disease occurs during situations when there is an interruption or decrease in blood supply to a certain part of the brain thereby leading to lack of oxygen and nutrition to brain tissue. It takes few minutes for brain cells to die, hence leading to loss of operation of that area of the brain like muscle control and memory. The degree of affection depends on the area of the brain the stroke occurred and how much brain tissue is damaged. Stroke could be hemorrhagic stroke which occurs when there is a burst in a brain aneurysm or a leak in a weak blood vessel and ischemic stroke that occurs when there is a block in the vessel taking blood to the brain by a clot. The general signs and symptoms of stroke are as follows:
- Vision impairment in one or both
- A headache
- Confusion
- Mumbling when talking
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance or loss of coordination
- The appearance of numbness of face, arm and leg or sometimes paralysis
- Vomiting
Brain Tumor
This is referred to as a growth of abnormal cells in the brain. It could be benign meaning it is noncancerous, or it can be malignant meaning that it will lead to cancer. The tumor can also be primary signifying that it started from the brain or metastatic, also secondary stating that it is as a result of cancer in a different part of the body which migrated to the brain. The signs and symptoms of the patient depending on the size, speed of growth and location of the brain tumor. Often these signs and symptoms of brain tumor are noticed:
- There is a certain change in the pattern of headaches and also a new onset of headaches
- The headaches get more frequent and more severe gradually
- Nausea or vomiting that cannot be explained
- Impaired vision, like blurriness, double vision or peripheral vision loss
- There is a loss of sensation or movement in the arm or a leg of the patient gradually
- Problem with balance
- Speech disorders
- Confusion in daily matters
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Presence of Seizures, even in situations when the patient has no history of seizures
- Hearing impairment.
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Spinal Cord Disorders
There are various causes of spinal cord diseases, trauma being the most prevailing of many such as infections, obstruction of blood supply, tumor or a fractured bone that compresses the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the primary link between the brain and other parts of the body. Problem with a spinal cord can lead to even dysfunctions in organs of the body, muscle activity, and even total sensations. You can observe various symptoms of disorders of the spinal cord based on the location of the injury this is because of how the spinal cord is arranged and functions. They may be a total or partial loss of function. Usually, when an injury occurs the functions controlled by the spinal cord above that injury is retained. Here are the general signs and symptoms of spinal cord disorders:
- Presence of weakness
- There is a loss of sensation (meaning being able to have a feeling of a light touch, pain, temperature, or vibration or to know where the arms and legs are placed)
- Reflex changes
- Bladder dysfunction (urinary incontinence)
- Bowel dysfunction (fecal incontinence)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lack of sweat
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Severe Pain in the back
- Spasms may be present due to obstruction of brain signals through the affected areas to control reflexes.
Neurologist near Me
If any of these symptoms are observed, it is advisable to book an appointment with a neurologist as soon as possible. This goes a long way in helping to diagnose the disease early thereby minimizing complications. The trained neurologist will also give you a suitable treatment and managing plan.
Therefore, do not hesitate to seek instant help while you are still in control. The brain is essential to a person; it houses one’s mind, memory and skills, no one wants to take such an organ with levity. Most of the time, there is nothing serious to worry about, but if something is wrong it then quickly discovered and swiftly managed. What do you stand to lose really?