Who is a neurologist?
A neurologist is a healthcare physician who treats neurological conditions. In other words, they specialize in diagnosing, treating, and preventing disorders of the muscles, peripheral nerves, and brain. Neurological conditions can impact nearly every aspect of your body, and children and adults are prone to them. Some neurological diseases include epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and Parkinson's disease. A neurologist is familiar with the structure, function, and disorders that affect your nerves and nervous system.
What training do neurologists undergo?
Typically, neurologists undergo around over 12 years of education. To specialize in the field, physicians must complete the following:
- A four-year college degree.
- A four-year medical program.
- A 12-month internship (training in neurology and other fields)
- Residency of three years (continued training concentrating on neurology)
- A fellowship lasts a maximum of three years and provides further training in a subspecialty of neurology, though it is not required. The training period can be lengthier if the neurologist decides to apply for more than one fellowship.
What conditions do neurologists treat?
The medical specialty of neurology focuses on issues affecting the neurological/nervous system; therefore, the conditions a neurologist treats are directly or indirectly related to it. Currently, there are over 470 recognized neurological conditions. Some of these include the following:
- Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
- Tremor, dystonia
- Cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations
- Cerebral palsy and spasticity
- Concussion
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Sleep disorders
- Mental and behavioral health disorders
- Encephalitis
- Epilepsy
- Facial pain syndromes
- Headache/migraine
- Hydrocephalus
- Meningitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Myasthenia gravis and myopathies
- Pain in your neck, back, and spine
- Parkinson's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease
- Brain injury, spinal cord injury, or vascular deformities
- Stroke
- Tumors of the brain, spine, and nerves
How do you prepare for your first neurologist appointment?
During your initial consultation with a neurologist, the doctor will quiz you about your symptoms and history and physically evaluate your brain and nerves. To prepare for the appointment, follow these simple steps:
- List the most vital things you wish to discuss with your neurologist.
- Discuss any modifications to your general health.
- Discuss your symptoms, including any changes to current or previous ones. Keep a symptom journal (and carry it with you) and note your symptom incidents, including the day and time they occurred, how long they lasted, how severe they were, the triggers, etc. The journal primarily helps if you suffer from an illness with fluctuating symptoms, such as epilepsy, sleep apnea, headaches, or Parkinson's disease.
- Take copies of any test findings, including any C.D.s with photos or lab work ordered by healthcare professionals other than your neurologist's network of physicians.
- Note all your current medications, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal products. Tell your neurologist about previous medicines that didn't work or had adverse effects.
- Have a list of any known allergies with you.
- Ask a loved one to accompany you to the appointment so they may take notes and act like your extra set of ears and eyes.
- Find out if you need to make another appointment to address any more issues.
How to maintain brain health and fitness?
People often start paying attention to brain health only after observing age-related cognitive changes and memory loss. However, neurological conditions are not just age-limited. One must maintain a routine to keep one's brain health in check throughout one's lifetime. Here is how you can take a step toward a fitter and healthier nervous system:
- Maintaining heart health: Staying on top of your cardiovascular health, with your doctor's assistance, can help in brain fitness. Conditions such as smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., can all increase the chances of developing neurodegenerative problems. These issues can impede blood flow to the brain. You must ensure that blood quickly moves through your heart and blood vessels. Hardened artery walls can make it difficult for enough blood to reach the brain and nurture brain cells, leading to strokes. Lack of blood supply to a specific brain part can lead to temporary or permanent brain damage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including stopping smoking and excessive drinking, can significantly improve heart health, promoting better brain health.
- Getting adequate sleep and rest: Shutting the brain off for seven to nine hours daily while you sleep is a crucial way to keep your brain working efficiently. It not only helps in brain resetting but also allows it to heal and restore mental health. To achieve this, you may consider the following:
- Having a routine and fixed bedtime every night.
- Switch off all electronics at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
- Write down anxiety-inducing thoughts such as lingering concerns or to-do lists for the next day.
- Perform five to ten minutes of mindful meditation.
- Moving your body enough: Exercise helps physical, mental, and cognitive health. Routine physical activity can increase the size of the hippocampus, an essential part of the brain responsible for memory. It can also help increase blood flow to the brain. High-intensity exercise is not necessary. You may adopt habits such as walking for 30 minutes a day, swimming, or taking a dance class into your daily life to foster your brain's well-being.
Apart from these practices, it would help if you tried to socialize and connect with people as much as possible. This way, you are less likely to feel low and unmotivated. Listening and formulating responses enables blood flow to different parts of the brain. Another endeavor can constantly be trying new things. Building new skills and regularly challenging your brain fosters the creation of new neural networks. The more such neural circuits exist, the harder it is for neurodegenerative issues to develop.
Can neurologists treat mental health conditions?
As mentioned earlier, neurologists are specialized medical professionals. They can expertly diagnose and treat conditions limited to those that affect the physical parts of the nervous system, such as concussions or seizures. These may be due to structural damage or specific diseases.
However, a neurologist's expertise does not extend to mental health conditions like depression. These conditions result from brain chemicals or functioning and are outside the purview of a neurologist's skillset. If such an issue arises, patients are referred to a neuropsychologist - a healthcare specialist who studies the relationship between the brain and one's actions and treats how the brain influences one's daily life. Neuropsychologists can help patients manage any condition through strategy and intervention but cannot prescribe medications.
Regardless, it is crucial to discuss your mental health with a neurologist, as some disorders can mimic neurological conditions. For instance, depression can cause unexplained memory difficulties. Thus, communicating with your neurologist about your mental health is essential for the maintenance of overall brain health and receiving accurate diagnosis and treatment.
What are the common causes of headaches?
Different factors, including health conditions or headache disorders, can cause headaches. Headache disorders may also come with other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light or sound and visual changes.
Headache disorders are characterized by head, neck, and shoulder pain and can occur due to a primary or secondary cause.
Primary headaches, like tension headaches or migraines, affect many people yearly. They aren't associated with any underlying disease but are a condition on their own. Factors like stress and disruptions in sleep patterns are known to trigger primary headaches.
Secondary headaches, on the other hand, occur as a symptom of another health disorder. Various illnesses and conditions can trigger a headache, including sinus congestion, nerve disorders, head injury or trauma, stroke, medication overuse, high blood pressure, and mental health conditions.
What is a migraine?
A migraine is much more than a generic, run-of-the-mill headache. It's intense, pulsing pain, often on one side of your head, lasting for hours or even days. Mundane things like bright lights, loud sounds, physical activity, or strong smells can worsen it.
Migraines can disrupt a patient's life, making it hard to focus, work, or stick to plans. They come in different forms: migraines with aura (where you might see flashing lights or zigzag lines before the headache), chronic migraines, or even silent migraines with no head pain.
The good news? A neurologist near you can prescribe treatments and strategies to help you manage them and reclaim your routine.
The four phases of a migraine
Migraines tend to follow a typical pattern, moving through four distinct phases. Here's what to expect:
- Prodrome: This is the warning phase, starting around 24 hours before the headache hits. You might feel tired or moody or notice subtle changes like food cravings or neck stiffness.
- Aura: Not everyone gets this phase, but it's like a cautionary red light if you do. It might bring visual changes (like zigzag lines or blind spots), tingling sensations, or even trouble speaking. Auras can last anywhere from five to 60 minutes and might even occur during the migraine headache phase.
- Headache: This phase is the main event, lasting anywhere from four to 72 hours. The pain is often intense and throbbing and can make lights, sounds, and smells unbearable.
- Postdrome: After the headache fades, you might feel drained, achy, and foggy - similar to a hangover. This migraine hangover can last for hours or even a couple of days.
Understanding these phases can help you better prepare for and manage migraines when they strike.
How can you find the best neurologist near you in Astoria, New York?
A neurologist helps identify your illness, treat or manage it as effectively as possible, and support you. They also ensure proper assessment, place test orders, and treat your condition with medicine or physical therapy. They even refer and collaborate with other specialists, such as a neurosurgeon or neuro-oncologist, if necessary.
However, the question of how to find a good neurologist who suits all your needs remains. Don't worry—Zocdoc is your answer! Not only does Zocdoc help you find the best neurologists near you in Astoria, NY, but it lets you choose one according to your preferences. All you need to do is visit Zocdoc and browse its open directory to find the best medical providers near you.
Additionally, you can include a filter in your search results by choosing your insurance carrier. This will help you quickly find a neurologist near you who accepts your plan. Using Zocdoc's insurance detector, you can soon identify in-network providers near you. For more insurance-related queries, check Zocdoc's patient help center.
Zocdoc is committed to providing the best information to help you make an informed decision. As a result, all information presented on the site, from detailed doctors' profiles to verified reviews and user ratings, is entirely transparent. If you can't visit your doctor in person, you can also book a video call with the best neurologist near you.
All bookings on Zocdoc are seamless, secure, and 100% free!
Prevalence of neurological conditions in Astoria, New York
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national estimates for neurologists stood at about 7,120 as of May 2021. New York, New Jersey, and Texas were the top three states that employed the most neurologists. Additionally, the New York-Newark-Jersey City or NY-NJ-PA had the highest employment levels for neurologists.
A 2020 report in The National Library of Medicine surveyed hospitalized, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients. In a median of 2 days following the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, almost 606 (13.5%) of the 4,491 hospitalized patients developed a new neurologic condition. The most frequent diagnoses were hypoxic/ischemic damage (1.4%), seizure (1.6%), toxic/metabolic encephalopathy (6.8%), and stroke (1.9%). Patients with neurologic conditions were mainly older, male, white, hypertensive, diabetic, and intubated.
According to the study Burden of Neurological Disorders Across the US From 1990-2017, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, and migraine were the three most fatal neurological conditions in the U.S. in 2017. In 2011, approximately 100 million Americans were affected by at least one of the 1000+ neurological illnesses, translating to an overall cost of $765 billion for the more prevalent conditions. This includes Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, epilepsy, stroke, migraine, chronic low back pain, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson's disease.
Sources
Healthline[1]
Healthline[2]
Houston Methodist
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Brain & Spine Foundation
National Library of Medicine
JAMA Network
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
WebMD
