What is Neurology?
Neurology is the study, diagnosis and treatment of all disorders and diseases related to the central and peripheral nervous system in a human body. The nervous system consists of a variety of different nerves whose purpose is to essentially transmit signals to different parts of the body. The nervous system is responsible for getting your body to take actions as well as to record and register certain reactions such as pain. The nerves are responsible for your senses as well, namely sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. As such any and all diseases related to one’s nervous system can be quite harmful and even fatal in some cases, they can render a person paralyzed and bed ridden for the rest of their lives. Diseases of the nervous system are ALS, Alzheimer’s, Bell’s palsy, Cerebral Palsy, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Scoliosis and the list goes on. All these diseases and disorders can be fatal for patients, as such doctors recommend that on the slightest hint of symptoms related to them, patients should get a checkup immediately.
Disorders and their symptoms
- ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease attacks the part of the brain which is responsible for your muscle movement. ALS has no cure to date, however if caught early there are certain treatments available that can help delay the loss of muscle movement. Early symptoms include, trouble swallowing food, stumbling, trouble holding things up, changes in posture, slurred speech and muscle stiffness.
- Dementia
Dementia is the term given to a disorder in which people lose their memory, speaking skills and in essence lose the ability to perform everyday tasks. Symptoms in the initial stage include short term memory loss, lower attention span, behavioral changes, confusion and the gradual or sudden loss of the ability to perform everyday tasks.
- Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease effects your ability to move and motor skills. Parkinson’s disease has no cure, however doctors can recommend surgeries and other therapies and medication that can help make certain symptoms noticeably better and more manageable. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in the early stages are tremors, muscle rigidness, slurred speech, balance and posture changes and slowed movements.
- Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy effects movement, posture and muscle movement. It is primarily done due to damage on a developing brain, which is why the condition is prevalent in infants and toddlers, the damage is usually done before the child is born. The symptoms of cerebral palsy are tremors, lack of balance, rigid movements, muscle stiffness, excessive drooling, seizures, learning disabilities, delays in speech development and variations in muscle tone.
