Neurology what do they treat

Difficulty walking, shuffling your feet, tremors and unintentional jerks, can all be signs of a nervous system problem. Worsening memory problems, personality changes or mixing up words could be signs of Alzheimer's disease. A neurologist can help identify the cause of symptoms and create a treatment plan for both common and complex neurological conditions. During a neurological exam, instruments, such as lights and reflex hammers, may be used to assess the nervous system.

Motor skills, balance, coordination and mental status may also be tested. Multiple sclerosis MS is an example of a complex condition that may be best treated by a neurologist.

Bruce says. Patients can benefit from the expertise of a neurologist who is familiar with the latest research and treatment options for MS and other neurological conditions. Nhu Bruce, neurologist at Houston Methodist, also commonly sees patients for: Uncontrolled headaches Memory loss Imbalance Numbness and pain If you're experiencing these symptoms, you probably have a lot of questions. Vertigo makes you feel as if you or the things around you are spinning; disequilibrium is difficulty keeping your balance.

Your primary care doctor can help you decide if your dizziness is severe enough to see a neurologist. Numbness or tingling can happen for many different reasons, some as simple as sitting in a way that cuts off your blood circulation or having not eaten. However, if this numbness continues, comes on suddenly, or only happens on one side of the body, it may be time to see a neurologist.

Numbness or tingling symptoms like those described can also be signs of a stroke , in which case you need to get help very quickly. While your primary care doctor can help you evaluate these symptoms, if you think you are having a stroke, get immediate medical help. Feelings of weakness that you should see a doctor for are different than tiredness or muscle aches after a long hike or lifting too many weights.

You should consult your provider if you experience muscle weakness that impacts your daily activities or a rapid decline in muscle strength, especially in your arms and legs. It could be caused by a more serious condition or disease of your nervous system, such as stroke. Problems moving, like difficulty walking, being clumsy, unintentional jerks or movements, tremors, or others, can be symptoms of a problem in your nervous system.

You may want to see a neurologist if these movement problems interrupt your daily life, though something like a tremor can be a side effect of medication or anxiety.

However, if your tremors also affect your daily activities, you may want to see a neurologist. Seizures can be almost unnoticeable or very extreme. Symptoms of seizures can range from staring to loss of consciousness, jerking movements of the arms and legs, breathing problems, confusion, or loss of consciousness. While some seizures could be caused by low blood sugar or withdrawals from addictive substances, you should consult your provider for seizures that seem sudden or without any obvious cause.

Your primary care doctor can help you determine how serious your seizure is and if you should see a neurologist. Difficulty seeing can be caused by aging or by the nervous system.

If the difficulty is sudden and happens in both eyes, you may want to have your vision evaluated. Either an eye doctor or your primary care doctor can advise you on whether you should see a neurologist about your vision problem.

Problems speaking, extreme problems with memory, changes in personality, or confusion are all symptoms that could be caused by disorders or problems in the brain, spine, and nerves. Your primary care doctor can help you examine your symptoms and decide if you need to see a neurologist.

While we know many obvious causes of sleep problems, going to bed too late, having a condition like sleep apnea or anxiety, nightmares, or others, some sleep problems are neurological disorders. Many of these symptoms could be part of a disorder that is not neurological. Neurologists are highly trained clinicians capable of diagnosing complex conditions through detailed history and physical examination, including testing of mental status, vision, speech, strength, sensation, coordination, reflexes, and gait.

Even as medicine becomes more dependent on technology, the neurological exam will remain a critical component of the patient evaluation. We are different from neurosurgeons as we do not perform brain or spinal cord surgery. However, neurologists and neurosurgeons work closely together for several conditions, sometimes even in the operating room together.

Subspecialty-trained neurologists also perform intraoperative brain and spine monitoring, autonomic testing, endovascular procedures including angiograms and coiling of aneurysms, botulinum toxin injections, skin and muscle biopsies.

Neurology is an exciting and fast-growing field that creates real-life solutions that help everyday people.