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A neurologist (obsolete – a neuropathologist) is a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases of the nervous system. The competence of a specialist includes work with the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves.
Since 1980, the direction has been renamed into neurology, and the specialist, respectively, into a neurologist. What you need to know about discipline, what symptoms should you see a neurologist for and what to expect from therapy?
General characteristics of the direction
Neurology is a group of scientific disciplines that studies the norms and pathologies of the nervous system. A doctor who has received a basic medical education and completed specialized training (an internship or residency) is called a neurologist.
He works with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It also checks the compliance of the development with accepted standards.
The neurologist often works in conjunction with other specialists. Some pathologies are accompanied by changes in mental functionality and behavior – in this case, psychiatrists or psychotherapists are involved in therapy.
Until the XNUMXth century, neuropathology was part of the program of private pathology and therapy. Later it was singled out as an independent clinical discipline. In the last decade, a new branch has emerged – animal neurology. It is actively developed abroad.
Neurological diagnoses are most commonly found in dogs and cats, but veterinarians say it will soon be commonplace in any animal species. The only caveat is that veterinary psychoneurology does not have an evidence base, since it is impossible to interview the patient.
There is a misconception that a neurologist treats psychological disorders. In fact, a specialist works with disorders of the nervous system, as with the causes of the underlying disease (encephalitis, Alzheimer’s disease), and a psychologist works with mental problems (depression, personality changes).
What is included in the list of duties of a doctor
The doctor identifies the cause of body disorders, establishes the focus and degree of damage to the nervous system, issues referrals for additional diagnostics and draws up a therapeutic course.
The range of symptoms for contacting a neurologist is wide – from frequent headaches to visual impairment, since all changes are somehow related to the work of the nerves.
An incomplete list of diseases with which a neurologist works:
- mechanical damage or infectious pathologies of the spinal cord / brain, their consequences for the body;
- Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Pick’s diseases;
- stroke, its consequences and possible relapses;
- episodic back pain (osteochondrosis, hernia);
- epileptic seizures and convulsions;
- violations or loss of consciousness without a specific etiology;
- frequent headache, migraine, tremor, nervous tic;
- muscle inflammation – myositis;
- dizziness, loss of balance, unsteadiness;
- polyneuropathy of various origins;
- sleep disturbances, biological rhythm failure;
- oncological neoplasms in the spinal cord or brain.
Pediatric neuropathologists are distinguished into a separate category. The nervous system of a newborn child differs from adult immaturity. As the baby adapts and grows, these differences are smoothed out – the surface of the cerebral cortex increases, the ratio of the brain and spinal cord is regulated, the speed of impulses is normalized, and so on.
Experts emphasize that part of the chronic pathologies of the nervous system is formed precisely in childhood.
It is very important to properly develop the child, regularly see a doctor.
What symptoms should you seek help for?
Migraine, frequent causeless headache, sleep problems, biological rhythm failures, lethargy – a reason to contact a neurologist. So the body is trying to inform us about internal problems that need to be resolved rather than ignored, attributing it to temporary fatigue or the common cold. You should pay attention to tingling or numbness of the limbs, tinnitus, problems with coordination, episodic pain in different parts of the body.
Disorders of consciousness, memory impairment, anxiety, dizziness, or frequent fainting should also prompt the patient to seek help. An additional consultation with a neurologist will not interfere with pregnant women, people with hereditary and chronic diseases, mechanical damage to the body or vascular disorders.
Don’t know which doctor to contact? Make an appointment with a general practitioner (GP). He will listen to your complaints, determine their etiology and redirect to a highly specialized specialist.
Methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention
A consultation with a neurologist differs from an appointment with a regular therapist in terms of examination and diagnostic tests. First, the doctor collects an anamnesis, asks the patient about complaints, general health, hereditary diseases, and so on. Then he conducts a visual examination, palpation of the affected areas of the body, checking reflexes and brain activity. If the information received is not enough, then it issues a referral for examination. The diagnostic method depends on the area under study and the severity of the condition.
Computed tomography reveals areas of hemorrhage, malformations of veins / arteries, tissue changes after mechanical damage or a heart attack. Magnetic resonance imaging is more informative for examining soft tissues, brain structures.
MRI does not harm the human body, because it does not work on X-rays, but on an electromagnetic field. Ultrasound is prescribed for the diagnosis of large vessels of the neck, and a lumbar puncture is necessary for meningitis, tumors, or internal hemorrhages. With the help of x-rays, growths, fractures of the vertebrae or tumor processes can be seen. Angiography can detect diseases / changes in the blood vessels of the brain, and echoencephalography is most often used for suspected epilepsy.
In some cases, an examination by other doctors is necessary – an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist. This will help to form a clear idea of the disease, confirm or refute the diagnosis.
The therapeutic course is compiled on the basis of diagnostics. The treatment regimen for traumatic brain injury and lumbago (acute lower back pain) will be radically different. Strictly follow medical prescriptions and refuse self-medication or folk remedies. Unlike therapy, preventive measures are similar for most patients. The neurologist advises to switch to a healthy lifestyle, sleep 8 hours a day, join the feasible physical activity and eat more fresh vegetables / fruits. Another important component of prevention is regular check-ups. See a neurologist as directed or 1-2 times a year for routine medical checkups.