Any medical issues with your brain, spine, and nerves can be scary, as neurological disorders impact your thought process, your ability to speak, and your ability to think.
If you are having issues with your brain, spine, and nerves, you may want to see a brain doctor, known as a neurologist. They specialize in treating issues with these parts of your body.
Here are five reasons why you might need to consider seeing a neurologist.
1. Chronic Or Extreme Headaches
We all get headaches from time to time. They can be from stress, allergies, sinus infections, tension, dehydration, toothache, etc. These types of headaches are common and can usually be treated with over-the-counter pain medication and rest.
More serious headaches, like migraines, or headaches that don’t go away for months usually can’t be treated by any home remedies. If you have severe headache symptoms that cause vomiting, changes in vision, or is debilitating, it’s time to see a doctor. Similarly, if you feel like you’ve had a headache for weeks or months, it’s also time to see a neurologist.
2. Seizures
Seizures can be minor and virtually unnoticeable or very severe. Symptoms include a loss of consciousness, jerking movements of the arms and legs, breathing problems, and confusion. If you have seizures suddenly and without any clear cause, you should see your doctor. Your primary care physician will likely refer you to a neurologist.
3. Dizziness
Dizziness can be caused by many different things, including dehydration, heat, low blood sugar, not eating enough, etc. Most of the time, dizziness caused by these things can be treated by rest, drinking plenty of water, getting your blood sugar up, etc.
Dizziness that is persistent and can’t be treated by changes to your lifestyle could be caused by vertigo. This makes you feel like the world around you is spinning. It’s chronic and can’t be treated on your own in most cases. You’ll want to see your primary care physician for this and they may refer you to a neurologist.
4. You’re Having Memory Problems Or Confusion
Some loss of memory is common as we get older. However, if you are having serious memory problems or issues with cognition, they should not be ignored and brushed away as a result of aging.
Forgetfulness that starts minor and gets worse could be dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. A neurologist will perform tests on your memory, cognition, and do brain scans to diagnose your issues.
5. Numbness Or Tingling
If you have nerve pain, such as tingling, or numbness in certain areas, you may have nerve damage that should be examined by a neurologist. These things can be signs of a stroke, which should be treated quickly. If you think you are having a stroke, seek medical care immediately.
Chronic numbness or tingling that’s not tied to a stroke, however, could be the result of nerve damage. A neurologist in Brooklyn can help diagnose this and treat it.
A Brain Doctor Can Help You Feel Better
Issues with your brain, spinal cord, or nerves are not ones you want to ignore. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so if you are having the problems described above, it may be time to seek out care from your primary care physician and get a referral to a brain doctor if needed.
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