Why eye twitches, headache and other popular questions to a neurologist

Chief Physician of the Clinic of Dr. Anikina

Without unnecessary movements: why does the eye twitch?

– My lower eyelid twitches periodically. What is the reason? Do you need to take medication or can you get by with soothing teas? (Olga, 43 years old, proofreader, Taganrog)

– If it strongly interferes, they do a blockade – they inject a small dose of botulinum toxin, and everything goes away. But it’s better to find the root cause. Perhaps you are overworked, are in a stressful situation for a long time, do not get enough sleep. Try to keep your daily routine and consult with psychiatrist about corrective therapy.

– For several months in a row at the end of the working day, hands tremble, there is a heaviness in the wrists. Why is this happening? I do gymnastics, but it doesn’t help. (Larisa, Moscow)

– This may be related to professional activity and be one of the signs of tunnel syndrome: in the wrist, the tendon compresses the nerve, hence the discomfort. But if the tremor is the same on both sides, it is worth excluding essential tremor. The disease is quite common, it can appear after 30 years, if the parents have such a symptom. Symmetrical jitter is not always a bad sign, but it’s worth checking out.

– I am a diabetic, suffered a stroke, and after a while coordination was disturbed. I hardly go outside: I’m afraid of falling. How to recover from a stroke? (Irina Ivanovna, 68 years old, Orenburg)

– If there were no problems with movement immediately after the stroke, it is most likely diabetes. After 5-10 years of illness, signs of polyneuropathy develop: sensory or movement disorders, weakness. The legs are most often affected. There is no magic pill, but the situation can be alleviated. It is necessary to monitor the sugar level, follow the diet. It is important to move, otherwise physical inactivity and weight gain cannot be avoided. To overcome the fear of falling, do coordination exercises while sitting on a chair: bend to the sides and forward, swing your arms. Take short walks with someone close to you. Make an appointment with occupational therapist, he will help you undergo rehabilitation. 

Children’s question: what if the child is hyperactive?

– The nephew constantly requires attention, runs, cannot concentrate. We are afraid that he is hyperactive. What to do about it? (Svetlana Baranova, Moscow)

– The phenomenon is widespread, and it is easy to confuse it with the peculiarities of upbringing. Hyperactive children are not constantly on the move because they are spoiled. Only in this way can their brains be in good shape and assimilate information. For diagnostics, you need to contact two specialists. Neuropsychologist observes the child in everyday life, offers to pass tests for attention and memory, for visual and spatial functions. According to the results neurologist diagnose and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.

– The son is 13 years old, for his age he is very tall, almost 170 cm. Complains of headaches and discomfort in the knees. Surveys showed no abnormalities. Doctors say that this is due to adolescence and will eventually pass by itself. (Elena, Moscow)

– Indeed, there is such a thing as growing pains, when fragile bones and muscles are under excessive stress. But there are also rheumatological diseases that make themselves felt already in childhood. I recommend contacting a rheumatologist and, excluding autoimmune condition, discuss what to do next. Sometimes leg pain is associated with foot problems such as flat feet. Consult a podiatrist.

About back pain: what to do when back hurts?

– The tailbone worries – when I sit or while walking strongly gives to the lower back. There were no operations, I don’t go in for sports. How to deal with back pain? (Olga)

– It makes sense to go to a neurologist and do an MRI of the lumbosacral spine. If you have recently become a mother, the position of the tailbone may become a problem – during childbirth, it leans back to let the baby pass, and then it may not snap into place. It is also important to understand if everything is in order with the gastrointestinal tract and rectum. Pathologies can manifest themselves through discomfort in the lower back.

– I do squats at home, my back and lower back began to hurt. Why? Are there any contraindications for such exercises? (Lyudmila Prutkova, Kazan)

– We have superficial muscles that are responsible for amplitude movements, and deep ones – stabilizers that support body position. In the absence of regular training, they weaken, cannot withstand the load, and any careless movement causes swelling and spasms. Your body may not have been prepared for increased physical activity. But consult an instructor physiotherapy exercises still worth it. He will tell you which exercises to start with and show you how to do them. Remember that you do not need to deal with pain, it is dangerous.

It’s all in the head: how to cope with persistent headaches?

– Constant headaches torment. I am 70 years old, have atherosclerosis of the vessels of the brain, hypertension, osteochondrosis and overweight? (Tamara Lebedeva)

– To improve well-being, they often drink vascular drugs that improve the blood supply to the brain. But with osteochondrosis, on the contrary, it is necessary to stimulate the outflow of blood, because the mobility of the neck is reduced. Venous outflow is difficult because the head is always tilted forward. To improve it, you need to do neck extension exercises – careful bending back. This is usually sufficient, but in some cases, such as if you have glaucoma, your doctor may prescribe pills.

– After a stroke, tinnitus worries, pressure jumps. The polyclinic said that this is not treated, you need to adapt. Can the situation be alleviated? (Petr Vladimirovich)

– With age-related and vascular changes in the brain, the function of processing a sound wave suffers. To make the hearing more sensitive, it is necessary to improve the blood supply – to walk, do gymnastics. Talk to neurologist, he will order an examination and select therapy that will support your hearing. For example, antidementional – so that attention and memory are not depleted; if they decrease, tinnitus may increase. I recommend doing neuropsychological examinationto see if there are post-stroke disorders and age-related changes. It is necessary to look after the hygiene of the ears – very often hearing loss is due to sulfur plugs.

– In the morning I can’t wake up: a sluggish state, the whole day tends to sleep, and only in the evening I feel cheerful. What to do? There is overweight and diabetes. Breathing is lost in a dream. (Olga Vladimirovna)

– With endocrine disorders, sleep apnea, impaired ventilation of the lungs are common. At these moments, the brain suffers from a lack of oxygen, sleep for it becomes not a recovery time, but a struggle for life. That is why in the morning you feel overwhelmed, extra pounds also accumulate – energy reserves for an emergency. It is necessary to consult with somnologist and do cardiorespiratory monitoring. The examination will show how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems work during sleep. If apnea syndrome is established, it is important to immediately start treatment, during which the quality of sleep will improve, blood sugar levels will normalize, and extra pounds will go away. A consultation with a doctor cannot be postponed, you need to be under the supervision of a specialist.

– There was a feeling that I was dreaming in reality, my consciousness was vague, absent-minded. What does this mean? I’m 40 years old. (Svetlana)

– The feeling of unreality of what is happening can be caused by the manifestation of hormonal dysfunction. Inspect at endocrinologist the work of the thyroid gland and the level of concentration of vitamin D. It is good to take a general blood test and for iron content, and with the results come to the doctor.

– I am 52 years old, migraines started a few years ago – I lay there for several days, painkillers do not help. Is there therapy? (Alina, Moscow)

– You need to contact neurologist and to clarify if it is really a migraine. The fact is that with age, many develop neck problems, and severe headaches can be caused by spasmodic muscles. In this case, it will be necessary to combine gymnastics and pill therapy.

Taking Action: What is dementia and how to deal with it?

– I heard that dementia cannot be cured. But many people with this diagnosis continue to lead normal lives. Are there new methods? (Raisa Iosifovna)

– Dementia Is a collective name for syndromes that include impairment of memory and attention, speech, orientation in space and time. The most common is dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, followed by vascular dementia. There are drugs that can significantly alleviate the patient’s condition and stabilize the progress of the disease. Therefore, you need to take action as early as possible. In severe cases, there is less hope of an effect. It is necessary to be treated, antidement therapy allows you to reduce the amount of drugs that correct behavior, irritability, aggression, and sleep disturbance. To assess the situation neurologist will need MRI results and a conclusion neuropsychologist.

– My grandmother and mother suffered from dementia. The psychiatrist said it was transmitted through the female line. Is it possible to avoid this disease or how to delay it? I am 37 years old. (Irina Lazareva)

– Very few forms of dementia are inherited. Of course, if a disease is traced in a number of generations, there is a risk, but other factors must also be taken into account: the presence of hypertension, diabetes, physical inactivity, frequent or prolonged stressful situations. In order not to suffer from ignorance, it is better to turn to specialized neurologistwho deals with dementia and undergo a complete neuropsychological evaluation. If it seems that there are really problems, the doctor will advise prevention or prescribe treatment. By the way, the development of dementia can also be influenced by emotional status – strong feelings, low mood.