A seemingly harmless numbness, dizziness or state of confusion, or a recurring headache, are things we sometimes overlook, hoping they will go away on their own. Sometimes they do, but when they persist, they may be symptoms indicating that we have a neurological condition and should prompt us to see a neurologist.
Neurological diseases are conditions of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, the systems that control all the functions of the body. A dysfunction of the nervous system can therefore be the cause of the most varied symptoms: from changes in mood to motor problems, and disorders of memory, sensation, swallowing or learning.
Types of neurological diseases
According to specialists, there are over 600 neurological diseases. For most of them there are treatments that can cure or relieve the symptoms of the condition, so that quality of life does not decline too much.
The major types of neurological conditions include:
- diseases caused by genetic abnormalities (muscular dystrophy)
- diseases of the blood vessels supplying the brain (stroke)
- autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis)
- injuries to the spinal cord and brain (epilepsy)
- neuroinfections (meningitis)
This calculation formula has been criticised for not taking into account the percentage of body fat in relation to muscle mass. This led to another formula, the body adiposity index, BAI. It is calculated as the ratio between hip circumference and height. One drawback is that this formula was studied on Hispanic and African-American populations.
Another calculation method uses waist-to-hip measurements in order to observe the distribution of fat tissue. From a medical point of view, this calculation method is more relevant than BMI, because abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of neurological diseases
Given that neurological diseases involve conditions of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, their symptoms are varied and differ somewhat between adults and children. Parents need to be very alert to the signs of these conditions, because most of them can be resolved at an early stage.
Symptoms of neurological diseases
Given that neurological diseases involve conditions of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, their symptoms are varied and differ somewhat between adults and children. Parents need to be very alert to the signs of these conditions, because most of them can be resolved at an early stage.
Headaches
If we get a headache once every few months and the pain is not persistent, there is no cause for concern. But severe, recurring headaches, especially when accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light or sound, are symptoms that should send us urgently to the neurology clinic.
Dizziness
Dizziness can manifest itself as an inability to keep one's balance or as vertigo, when the patient feels that everything is spinning in front of their eyes. These can also be symptoms of tiredness, stress and pronounced anxiety, or of an ENT condition. However, in a person with a heart condition or a history of cerebrovascular disease, short-lived vertigo associated with headache, nausea and fainting calls for an urgent neurology consultation.
Sleep problems
Very often, sleep-related problems are neglected. Put down to worries, everyday stress or age, sleep disorders may in fact be symptoms of neurological conditions, because the mechanisms that produce and maintain sleep are neurological. Insomnia, waking in the middle of the night and difficulty falling asleep are all sleep disorders that can affect blood circulation, intellectual activity, thinking, memory and so on.
Confusion and memory problems
Cognitive disorders, which impair learning, orientation, judgement, memory and intellectual abilities, are symptoms that require immediate attention and a consultation with a neurologist. Some of them may conceal serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, but they may also be the result of trauma, an infection, delirium, dementia and so on.
Seizures
Seizures can manifest themselves violently, through muscle spasms and shaking, but sometimes they can be barely noticeable. Although they can be symptoms of several conditions, seizures are often the sign of a neurological condition: stroke, brain tumours, injuries, infections, brain dysfunction or degenerative diseases.
Marked weakness and movement problems
These are conditions that affect quality of life and for which the help of a neurologist should be sought. Weakness is not the same thing as tiredness; it refers to the need for greater effort to carry out the simplest tasks (moving the limbs, for example). Tremor, likewise, is not just an unpleasant sensation but also a symptom of conditions of the nervous system.
Vision problems
Problems with the eyes usually send us to the ophthalmologist. However, if we notice sudden disturbances of vision affecting both eyes, the best course of action is to consult a neurologist. Some neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, which belongs to the group of demyelinating diseases, are also characterised by damage to the optic nerves that causes vision problems.
We should also bear in mind that neurological symptoms can also be characteristic of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, or of viruses (HIV or the varicella-zoster virus).
Prevention and risk factors
The incidence of neurological diseases is rising at a worrying rate. The President of the Romanian Society of Neurology, Dafin Mureșanu, warns that, in order to prevent the onset and development of these diseases, we need plenty of exercise, a balanced diet, reading, pleasant emotions and as little stress as possible.
"Modern life is taking over more and more, but, along with it, neurological diseases are becoming ever more common in the world's population and, of course, in Romania. It is time for people to give up the comfort of the armchair in front of the television or the computer, and the unbalanced diet. It is important for people to focus more on prevention, to do exactly what they are not doing. To sleep as much as they need, to live with minimal stress, to eat protectively and in a balanced way, in the best sense of the word, so as not to develop metabolic syndrome. You should know that the body can cope with restriction better than with excess. Excesses are much harder to manage. It is essential to exercise every day, to read every day, to be positive. To be at peace with ourselves and then with those around us," explained Dafin Mureșanu, President of the Romanian Society of Neurology (SNR) and of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), at the 5th edition of the International Course dedicated to movement disorders.
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