When should you turn to a neurologist?
- If there is a history of stroke in the family
- Prolonged lower back pain that limits movement and radiates down the legs. Not uncommonly, the culprit is a herniated disc that exerts pressure on the nerves eminating from the spine.
- Asymmetric, splitting headache (migraine), or feeling like your skull is in a vice
- Forgetfulness, memory loss: the cause (often poor circulation on brain arteries, Alzheimer disease) can be determined with a dementia test. With proper medication and mental training, deterioration may be slowed or even stopped.
- Shuffling, walking in small steps, trembling hand: possibly Parkinson’s disease. In this case, levels of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine are reduced. By supplementing dopamine, symptoms can be improved dramatically.
- Long-term, recurrent dizziness: testing for diseases of this type is performed partly by a neurologist and partly by an ENT specialist. In most cases, symptoms improve within days with proper treatment.
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
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