Who is a neurologist?
A neurologist treats and manages brain and nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) problems. They know the structure, operation, and diseases that affect your nerves and nervous system.
Some signs that necessitate seeing a neurologist near you include issues with coordination, muscle weakness, sensation changes, confusion, and dizziness. A neurologist may also be necessary for people experiencing issues with their senses (touch, vision, or smell). Nervous system diseases could be the root of sensory problems.
Neurologists also treat patients with the following:
- seizure disorders like epilepsy
- stroke
- multiple sclerosis
- neuromuscular disorders like myasthenia gravis
- infections of the nervous system, including meningitis, encephalitis, or brain abscesses
- neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease
- spinal cord disorders
- inflammatory and autoimmune disorders
- headaches, such as migraine or cluster headaches
Education and training of a neurologist
Four years each of college and allopathic (M.D.) or osteopathic (D.O.) medical school is mandatory to become a neurologist. Up to three years of specialized residency training in neurology, a one-year internship in internal medicine, or two years of pediatrics for child neurologists study make up the neurologist's training. A category program that comprises four years of training or an advanced program that includes three years of training are also options for adult neurology training.
Many people pursue further education to become specialists in neurology by completing a three-year fellowship. Fellowship, however, is not mandatory. The training period can be lengthier if the neurologist decides to apply for more than one fellowship. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) specifies a residency training program. The Unified Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, or the ACGME, establishes fellowship and subspecialty training requirements.
Neurology subspecialties
Neurologists can specialize in the following areas:
- Child and adolescent neurology: Pediatric or child neurology focuses on treating complex disorders of the brain, spine, muscle, and nervous system in children, which includes infants, teenagers, and young adults. Child neurologists diagnose and treat issues like concussions, muscular dystrophy, behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, delayed development, autism, brain tumors, and inflammation of the brain (meningitis). These specialists often work with a patient's team of pediatricians, physical therapists, social workers, and other specialists who care for children with complex medical problems like birth defects.
- Vascular neurology: In this specialization, neurologists focus on treating vascular disorders that lead to intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and spinal cord injury. They also treat brain injuries, stroke-related epilepsy, genetic conditions resulting in stroke, and blood vessel inflammation, and manage blood thinning medication.
- Neuromuscular disease: In this discipline, neurologists focus on the treatment and diagnosis of conditions affecting the muscle, nerve, or neuromuscular junction. Such conditions affect muscle function due to problems within the nerves and muscles in your body. One of the most common signs of such diseases is muscle weakness. Examples of neuromuscular disease include myasthenia gravis (neuromuscular transmission disorder), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), various muscular dystrophies, and polymyositis.
- Epilepsy: Neurologists who complete subspecialty training in epilepsy are commonly referred to as epileptologists. Epilepsy is a condition of the brain where individuals experience recurring seizures. The symptoms of epilepsy seizures depend on the type of seizure. Some epileptic seizures do not cause a loss of awareness. However, they may alter emotions or change the way things around an individual look, taste, sound, or feel. Normally, a general neurologist or primary care doctor can help patients manage their epilepsy treatment. However, they may be referred to an epileptologist if their seizures are not under control, even under the care of a neurologist, if their current epilepsy medication is not working, or if they have other preexisting medical conditions that are affected by or affect epilepsy.
- Neuro Oncology: Neuro oncologists specialize in treating brain tumors, spinal cord tumors, and central nervous system tumors, such as gliomas. They also specialize in treating patients who face neurologic complications from cancer and cancer therapies. They often work closely with radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, and neuroradiologists.
Impact of COVID-19 on neuro health
One of the most common neurological complications seen during COVID-19 is the loss of taste and smell; some severe complications have been meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, and seizures. While it has not been possible to understand the full impact of COVID-19 infection, studies on SARS and MERS have predicted neurological complications like obsessive-compulsive disorders and risks of neurocognitive issues like multiple sclerosis.
Post-COVID-19 Neurological Syndrome, or PCNS, develops in patients with severe complications because of long-term brain exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Some PCNS symptoms are chronic fatigue, depression, and cognitive problems. The researchers also suggest that PCNS will likely affect younger adults, indicating a massive future health crisis.
How to keep your nervous system healthy?
The nerves carry essential messages from the brain to the other body parts. Everything that we do in our daily lives is connected to the nervous system. The nerve network can be divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems.
The nervous system has a lot of protection from skeletal structures; however, nerve damage can affect the communication between the brain and your body. Some of those conditions are infections like meningitis, encephalitis, and polio, physical problems like an injury or carpal tunnel syndrome, neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, or issues with the blood vessels like stroke or subdural hematoma, i.e., when the blood accumulates outside the brain after a severe injury.
A few ways to keep the nervous system healthy are:
- Balanced and healthy diet. Skipping meals or regularly consuming unhealthy food can affect nervous health.
- Good sleep. Good sleep is essential as it rejuvenates the body and calms the nerves.
- Exercising regularly. Weight training and yoga can keep the nervous system healthy as it improves body awareness.
- Taking a regular break for yourself
- Spending quality time with family and friends
- Good sources of fats like Omega-3 from Salmon, avocados, nuts, etc.
Common neurological diseases
Neurologists can diagnose and treat the following conditions:
- Stroke: A stroke occurs due to bleeding from the brain's ruptured blood vessel or if the brain doesn't receive blood supply due to blockage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2020 report, more than 795,000 people die of a stroke in the U.S., making it the leading cause of death in the country.
Oxygen plays a significant role, as, without it, the brain cells and tissue begin to die within minutes. Blockage or ruptured blood vessels prevent oxygen and blood from reaching the brain.
Strokes can be of three types:
1. Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is caused by a blood clot and mostly reverses on its own
2. Ischemic stroke is caused by blockage due to a clot or plaque in the artery. This kind of stroke can last longer than TIA and might also become permanent.
3. Hemorrhagic stroke involves a burst or leaking blood vessel that seeps into the brain.
A person suffering from a stroke would require immediate medical attention. The sooner the patient gets care, the better their chances of a cure.
Some common symptoms to identify stroke are:
- Paralysis
- Weakness or numbness in the arm, face, and leg.
- Slurred speech
- Confusion, disorientation, or lack of responsiveness
- Vision problems
- Trouble walking
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Nausea or vomiting
Prompt treatment and care can prevent severe stroke outcomes, such as brain damage, long-term disability, and death.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS): Although the exact cause of MS isn't clear, scientists believe it to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the CNS (Central Nervous System). Autoimmune diseases cause the body's immune system to attack healthy tissues like viruses or bacteria. In the case of M.S., the immune system affects the protective covering of the nerves called the myelin sheath, which causes inflammation and leaves scars or sclerosis in numerous areas. It mainly affects the brain stem, the cerebellum part of the brain, which controls movements and balance, the spinal cord, and the optic nerves.
See a neurologist near you if you experience the following symptoms of multiple sclerosis:
- Muscle weakness due to nerve damage
- Numbness and tingling in the body, face, arms, and legs
- Lhermitte's sign, the patient may experience shock-like sensations when moving their neck.
- Bladder problem: the patient may need to urinate frequently or become complex.
- Fatigue
- Dizziness and vertigo
- Learning and memory problem
- Neuropathic pain
Some less common symptoms of multiple sclerosis are headache, hearing loss, itching, respiratory or breathing problems, seizures, speech disorders, and swallowing problems.
Some risk factors for multiple sclerosis are:
- Age: People in the age group of 20-40 have higher risks of developing M.S.
- Sex: Women are twice as likely to develop M.S.
- Smoking: Smokers are more likely to develop M.S. than non-smokers.
- Vitamin D Deficiency: M.S. is more likely to develop in people with less exposure to sunlight. Low levels of vitamin D also affect the immune system.
Neurological exams and procedures
Neurologists sometimes ask patients to undergo additional screening tests for a more comprehensive disease diagnosis. These screening tests may include the following:
- EMG or electromyogram to check the communication level between muscles and the nerve. It is conducted on patients with acute muscle pain symptoms.
- EEG or electroencephalograph to study brain function by recording the electrical activity in your brain. It is conducted on patients with seizure symptoms.
- Brain or spine imagining tests to check for brain damage, tumors, or problems with spine disks, nerves, bones, or blood vessels.
- The evoked potentials test measures the brain's stimulation of vision, hearing, and specific nerves.
- Lumbar puncture or spinal tap test, where a small quantity of fluid is extracted from the spine to check for infection or blood presence.
- Tensilon test is used to check for signs of myasthenia gravis, a condition that weakens the muscles.
- Nerve or muscle biopsy, where a tiny amount of tissue is taken and examined under the microscope to check for signs of neuromuscular disorders.
- Thermography tests to measure any changes in temperature in specific organs and evaluate nerve root compression, peripheral nerve disorders, and pain syndromes.
- Angiography to check for any damage, abnormal or blocked blood vessels in the head, brain, or neck.
How do you prepare for your neurologist appointment?
Being prepared helps you achieve the most out of the visit to the neurologist. Here are the tips to help you prepare for the appointment.
- Create a list of critical health conditions or symptoms you plan to discuss with the neurologist. Open communication is crucial to achieving the best solution to your neurological health issues.
- Discuss your chronic symptoms or evolving symptoms. Make a note of the triggers and severity of symptoms. It helps in discussing neurological conditions like sleep apnea, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, or headaches, which often show evolving signs.
- Carry copies of previous test results and ongoing medications or treatment. Bring your detailed medical history. It helps the neurologist understand your health and create a suitable treatment plan.
- Discuss all your allergies and potential medication side effects. Make it a point to ask all your questions and doubts about your condition. Ask if another appointment is required to discuss additional health concerns further.
- Bring a family member or relative with you during the visit. When discussing your conditions with the neurologist, it helps to have an additional set of ears and eyes.
Finding the best neurologist near you in San Francisco, CA
Diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's mainly affect people above 65 years, making it even harder for them to reach out for proper care. With the growing number of neurological diseases, hospitals are at capacity, and it becomes difficult to book appointments. This is where Zocdoc comes into the picture.
It provides you with safe and secured appointment bookings and has the best neurologists on board to give you the best healthcare. Zocdoc maintains its transparency by allowing you to access all the vital information about the specialist, like their educational qualification, specializations, board certification, and even their language. It also displays verified patient reviews and doctor ratings for you to choose wisely.
You can also check which doctors accept your insurance plan. If you are not able to find your particular health plan listed on Zocdoc, you can also upload a photo of your insurance card. Once you upload a photo, Zocdoc will scan the image of your card and show you your likely plan. Note that this service is available only for medical insurance cards. Dental and vision are excluded. If you are having trouble uploading your card, contact Zocdoc's service team. For more insurance-related information, check out Zocdoc's patient help center.
All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and free!
Statistics
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease in the USA was due to stroke. It also states that 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes. The USA has incurred 53 billion dollars lost due to stroke-related healthcare services, medicines, and treatments in 2017 and 2018. According to the health data by the government, San Francisco had a rate of 74.3 per 100,000 females and 112.0 per 100,000 males suffering from ischemic heart disease in 2014. The same report also states that 38.6 per 100,000 females and 40.5 per 100,000 males have suffered from a stroke.
Sources
NewsMedical
Healthline
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
American Academy of Neurology
Cleveland Clinic
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Association of American Medical Colleges
Mayo Clinic[1]
Mayo Clinic[2]
Mayo Clinic[3]
Mayo Clinic[4]
Healthychildren.org
Duke Health
Weill Cornell Medicine
University of Florida Health
American Board of Medical Specialties
MD Anderson Cancer Center
