Our brain and spinal column are the control center of our body. If these become damaged or altered, it can affect us in a variety of ways. With modern technology, our understanding of these effects is never-ending...

Symptoms Of Neurological Diseases

Neurological symptoms are those that are produced by malfunctioning of the nervous system. The human nervous system basically consists of two parts which include the central nervous system which comprises of the spinal cord and the brain and the peripheral nervous system that consists of nerves that conduct impulses to and from the brain. When there is a disruption in any of these connections, the symptoms of neurological diseases occur.

Symptoms of Neurological Diseases Originating from the Peripheral Nervous System:

  • These include numbness, burning, prickling, paralysis, sensitivity and muscle weakness.
  • The symptoms may occur due to local injury when the symptom is pain which can be related to the trauma directly or because of a systemic illness which the whole body is affected by.
  • In more complicated conditions like referred pain, the trauma or illness occurs in a one part of the body but the pain is felt in another. This kind of a symptom is the most complicated and the diagnosis and treatment in these cases is most difficult.
  • The symptoms of neurological diseases that occur in the peripheral nervous system may arise form either a single nerve or several nerves. There are certain diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS that is caused due to the compression and deprivation of regular blood flow in a nerve. High blood sugar levels from Diabetes can also cause nerve damage.
  • Autoimmune diseases like Guillain Barre Syndrome and lupus can also produce symptoms of neurological diseases.
  • Viruses like HIV or human-immunodeficiency virus, varicella zoster and Epstein-Barr are other causes of peripheral neuropathies.

Symptoms of Neurological Diseases Originating from the Autonomic Nervous System:

These occur due to the malfunctioning of the brain or spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the control of involuntary actions that include swallowing, perspiration, breathing, bladder control, etc.

These diseases are accompanied with symptoms like dizziness, loss of consciousness, vertigo, high blood pressure or hypertension, etc.

Common Symptoms of Neurological Diseases and what they mean are as follows:

  • Back and neck pain: an ache in the back and neck that arises from muscle or spine problems.
  • Communication problems: Permanent damage or impairment of portions of the brain that control production and understanding of spoken and written language.
  • Confusion: The ability to think with clarity, disorientation and short attention spans
  • Loss of Consciousness: Unusual awareness loss of surroundings and sensory stimuli responses which could occur with jerking movements and in extreme cases lead to coma.
  • Depression: a state where there is lack of interest and mood in pleasurable activities. The person may feel dejected and apathetic.
  • Dizziness: Nausea and sensation of spinning, a sense of unsteadiness
  • Headache: pain in the head and also the neck in some cases.
  • Imbalance: Lack of coordination and clumsiness, unsteady gait, slurred speech
  • Lethargy: a state of severe sleepiness and drowsiness with reduced mental and physical activity.
  • Memory Loss: amnesia, dementia, short-term memory loss
  • Muscle Weakness: Paralysis or weakness of a part or a group of limb muscles.
  • Pins and Needles: tingling in a part of the skin accompanied with coldness, tightness, burning or coldness
  • Seizures or Fits: Hyperactivity of the nerve cells in a part of the brain.
  • Dysphagia: Swallowing difficulties while eating
  • Vision problems: blurring, photophobia, squinting, rapid vision loss, etc.