NERVOUS SYSTEM RELATED DISEASES
In the previous page, we have discussed about the theory and explanation of the human’s nervous system. Now, let us learn and know the diseases that cause disorders in the human’s nervous system.
In the previous page, we have discussed about the theory and explanation of the human’s nervous system. Now, let us learn and know the diseases that cause disorders in the human’s nervous system.
There are a lot of diseases that cause disorders of the nervous system which then affect our health. First, we will discuss the disorders of the nervous system in general.
Disorder of the nervous system or neurological disorder is a disorder of the body’s nervous system. There are a lot of factor that can cause the disorders and also symptoms which show the disorders.
The nervous system can be damaged by the following:
- Trauma
Ø - Infections
Ø - Degeneration
Ø - Structural defects
Ø - Tumors
Ø - Blood flow disruption
Ø - Autoimmune disorders
Ø - Imbalances of neurotransmitters
Disorders of the nervous system may include:Ø - Vascular disorders - such as stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), etc
Ø - Infections - such as meningitis, polio,etc
Ø - Structural disorders - such as brain or spinal cord injury, Bell's palsy, cervical spondylosis, brain or spinal cord tumors, etc
Ø - Functional disorders - such as headache, epilepsy, dizziness, and neuralgia
Ø - Degeneration - such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's chorea, and Alzheimer's disease
Symptoms of nervous system disorders:
Ø - Headache
Ø - Paralysis
Ø - Loss of feeling
Ø - Weakness of muscles strength
Ø - Memory loss
Ø - Lack of coordination
Ø - Slurred speech
Ø - Impaired mental ability
Ø - etc
Now, we will describe some diseases or disorders of the nervous system in detail. The disorders we will describe include the Parkinson’s disease, meningitis, stroke and epilepsy.
Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson is a common neurological disorder. It is a slowly progressive disorder associated with the disorder of the brain cells that affects muscle control.
It is caused by the death of the nigra cells at an accelerate rate which reduces the supply of dopamine to the striatum which then causes the nerve cells of the striatum activate improperly. The causes of this disease can be because of genetics, environment factors and also free radicals.
The symptoms of the disease can be a motor control problems, mental disorders or diseases with similar symptoms. Motor control problems such as tremors or shaking at rest and slowness in all involuntary movement and speech (bradykinesia) are the major symptoms for people who have Parkinson’s disease. The mental disorders such as failing memory or memory loss and personality changes are also symptoms of the disease.
This disease can be treated by some treatment such as drug therapy and surgical treatment. The drugs that can be use are levodopa, dopamine agonists and amantadine, etc.
Let us watch the video below to know more about Parkinson disease
Meningitis
Meningitis is the inflammation or swelling of the meninges which is the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord. There are two types of meningitis, the viral and bacterial meningitis. The main causes to meningitis are physical injury, a reaction to certain drugs and more common cause is infection by certain viruses and bacteria. The symptoms of the disease usually develop rapidly over only just a few hours. The symptoms of a person who experience meningitis are vomiting, high fever and stiff neck. Meningitis can also cause severe headache, confusion, muscles ache and even unconsciousness.
The patients of this disease can be treated by hospitalized and given large doses of antibiotics. Meningitis can be prevented by maintaining good hygiene, vaccine and also immunization.
Stroke
Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the loss of brain function swiftly due to the lack of blood flow or blood supply. The lack of blood supply is caused by blocked or burst blood vessels. There are two main types of stroke, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.
The ischemic stroke is caused by an obstruction in an artery, commonly the carotid arteries which are the major arteries in the neck that transport oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. It can also be caused by a travelling clot or embolus.
Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by weakened blood vessels within the brain that burst and bleeds into the surrounding tissue.
The symptoms of stroke are sudden weakness or numbness of face or of one arm or leg, loss of vision (especially in one eye) and etc.
Stroke can be treated by removing the obstruction, restoring blood flow to the dispossessed region of the brain and preventing the development of complications. Drug tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) can be used in treating ischemic stroke. Physical and occupational therapy can also be used in recurring stroke patients.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy or seizure disorder is a chronic brain disorder that briefly interrupts the normal electrical cavity of the brain.
It can be caused by head injury, stroke, brain tumor, genetic conditions, lead poisoning or infections such as meningitis.
The symptoms are uncontrolled body movements, confusion, sudden fear and also loss of consciousness.
Until now, researches haven’t found any cure for epilepsy, but the symptoms of the disorder can be treated by drugs, surgery or simply a special diet.
Resource: Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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