Mental health condition affects millions of people around the world. However, there is still an unwarranted stigma attached to mental health problems and most people refrain from talking about these conditions. Educating the masses on mental health is the responsibility of our society.

There are more neurological conditions than most people are willing to admit. Lingering a neurological condition can be fatal and may even result in death. Certain conditions are harmful to both the patient and their surroundings and must be treated early on. Consulting a neurology hospital is the way to go if you suspect that someone in your family or even you have abnormal symptoms. A brain and spine hospital such as Max Healthcare specialises in neurology and their proven track record can help accelerate the healing process.

 

Parkinson’s Disease

Targeting the brain cells that control movement, Parkinson’s is a chronic neurological disorder that is closely linked to dementia and depression. However, some patients also experience damage to the ‘autonomic’ nervous system. Termed as a long-term degenerative disorder, Parkinson’s progresses over time, and the condition worsens as time passes. Though the cause is still unknown and there is presently no cure, there are treatment options that can effectively manage the symptoms. Primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include –

Symptoms

• Shaking or tremor of legs, hands, face and jaw
• Stiffness or inflexibility of the limbs
• Limited movement
• Impaired balance and coordination
• Loss of smell
• Speech changes
• Weakness of face and throat muscles

As the disease progresses, the dopamine amount produced in the brain decreases, thus leaving the patient unable to control body movement naturally.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis disrupts the communication between the brain and body. It also affects the communication within the brain, making it a disabling disease. As an unpredictable and chronic disease; Multiple Sclerosis primarily affects the central nervous system, optic nerves and spinal cord. Falling in the category of autoimmune diseases, Multiple Sclerosis can threaten the life of the patient. The immune system attacks and damages the nervous system which can disable a patient depending on the symptoms and severity of the condition. Common symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include –

• Vertigo
• Loss of sensation
• Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
• Muscle spasms
• Tingling or numbness
• Uncontrolled eye movements or double vision

Multiple Sclerosis does not have a cure, yet. However, with medications and treatment, the symptoms can be controlled to a larger extent. Treatment usually focuses on slowing the progression of the disease.

Epilepsy

A severe neurological disorder, epilepsy affects the functioning of the brain resulting in recurrent seizures. The resulting seizures can be of different types depending on the magnitude of abnormity in the neurons. While some of the epileptic seizures can be mild, others can adversely affect the patient by causing spasms and unpredictable muscle twitches. Some severe seizures can also lead to bone fracture among the elder people.

It is important that one must know about the warning signs of epilepsy to treat it as early as possible. Some of the warning signs of Epilepsy are:

• Unusual feelings of confusion and disorientation
• Odd experiences with sense of detachment, out-of-body experiences, situations may seem unexpectedly
• Troubles in memory and forgetfulness
• Difficulty in maintaining balance
• Tingling in a particular part of the body
• Lack of control on urine, or stool
• Intense daydreaming

Apart from the warning signs, the reasons or causes behind epilepsy also vary. However, the reasons are connected to the brain. Some of the causes of epilepsy are traumatic brain injury, infections, brain tumor, metabolism disorders in infants to name a few.

Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder whose symptoms become worse with time. In this neurological disorder, the brain cells degenerate and die over the time which affects the memory and hinders the ability to perform daily tasks.

Mostly occurring in people who are above 65 years, this is a type of dementia. Though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, one can control and reduce its symptoms with the treatments. Warning symptoms of the disease include –

• Loss of Memory
• Trouble in performing daily tasks
• Confusion with time and place
• Misplacing things
• Inability to retrace steps
• Problem in making judgement
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Changes in mood and personality

Ataxia

Ataxia affects the coordination of muscle movements that includes gait abnormality. It may have an effect on any motion that requires muscles to work together to perform a function. Ataxia is not a disease but a sign of an underlying medical problem. Ataxia is of three types viz. Cerebellar, Sensory, and Vestibular.

• Cerebellar Ataxia is caused by dysfunction of the cerebellum – the region of the brain involved in assimilation of coordination, motor control, and sensory perception
• Sensory Ataxia is the one where there is a loss of proprioception, wherein the patient loses the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body
• Vestibular Ataxia affects the vestibular system of the body

Symptoms

• Impaired coordination of the torso, arms, and legs
• Vocal changes
• Slurred speech
• Unsteady Gait
• Frequent stumbling
• Headaches

 

These rare neurological disorders can be hard to identify, and one must consult a neurologist for an accurate diagnosis. As rare as they sound, these disorders can affect anyone randomly. Consulting a neurology hospital is your best option if you suspect someone in your family is suffering from these symptoms.