Why Your Doctor Might Refer You to a Neurologist

Primary care doctors don’t just treat simple cases, though. They can treat many different kinds of illnesses and injuries. If you come in with the flu, your PCP is just as likely to give you an antiviral drug as she is a decongestant. If you’re found to have high blood pressure, your PCP is going to teach you how to monitor it at home, and adjust your lifestyle to make sure it goes down. She may refer you to a cardiologist if she thinks medications aren’t enough to get it under control. A PCP is an essential professional caregiver when you need ongoing medical care for an acute or chronic condition or illness.

Finding a Best Neurologist in Mumbai. The procedure can be a bit daunting, considering the nature of the content and any concerns over fees, hence this is a valuable guide to understanding what you should look out for, not only in terms of professional conduct, but when it comes to cost and price.

Your neurologist will be responsible for diagnosing and treating your nervous system conditions. Focusing on neuro-diagnostics, neuro-physiology, brain imaging, neurobiology, neurotherapy, neurosurgery and neuro-rehabilitation, these are the specialty doctors treating people with neurological conditions.

Neurological disorders can be caused by brain and spinal cord trauma, infections, vascular diseases, metabolic problems or genetic defects. The neurologist’s area of expertise is the brain and nervous system. A neurologist is a specialist physician who can diagnose your ailment and recommend treatment.

Why would my doctor refer me to a neurologist?

Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system. The neurologist’s main task is to diagnose and treat disorders which may affect any part of your nervous system. For example, a patient who suffers from an injury to her spinal cord will be referred to a neurologist. A number of different branches of neurologic practice are recognized by the medical community, each having its own specialty literature.

Your health care team may recommend other tests or treatments like surgery, hormone therapy, or taking medications. If you have these tests or treatments, it is helpful to coordinate them with your primary care provider. Also, be sure to ask your primary care provider about all your medications since they will help you stay on schedule and know all potential side effects.

Neurologists are doctors who treat disorders of the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Doctors who practice neurology can be generalists, treating all kinds of neurologic disorders, or specialists, focusing on one type of disorder. Some people have neuropathy , which literally means “nerve pain” and symptoms may include numbness, tingling and weakness.

What conditions does a neurologist treat?

Neurologists study the nervous system and how it controls everything from your heartbeats to your behaviour. They are experts at diagnosing and treating conditions such as strokes, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, and brain tumours.

Head injuries

There are many reasons you might need to see a neurologist, or neurosurgeon. You may be experiencing memory loss and poor concentration, weakness in arms or legs, difficulty with coordination and balance. A neurologist might be needed to help determine the extent of your injuries and help develop a treatment plan. Multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other brain and nervous system disorders are also neurological conditions that can be treated by a neurologist.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury. It occurs when the head is struck by an object, causing the brain to bounce back and forth inside the skull. The resulting bruising and swelling can increase intracranial pressure and disrupt the function of various areas inside the brain. Sometimes damage may be permanent.

Chronic headaches

A headache is a pain in the head, face or neck that is caused by a variety of factors. Each factor can cause different symptoms, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis. A neurologist specializes in diagnosing and treating brain and nervous system disorders.

Migraine

Migraine attacks are due to various physiological and psychological factors that trigger a throbbing pain in one or both sides of the head. It occurs at the same time every time and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and difficulty concentrating on things. Migraine sufferers can avoid some triggers, such as certain foods and drinks, medications, stress, being tired or hormonal changes.

Headaches can be debilitating, affecting your ability to function both at work and with your family. The cause of migraines is often an environment or behavior that can be changed to eliminate or reduce the frequency or severity of symptoms. Following a neurologist’s advice will help eliminate the stress and frustration that migraine attacks produce.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition that affects the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that connect them. This affects the ability of nerves in your brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other, and with your physical body.

Seizure or epilepsy

Seizures are common. Sixty to seventy thousand people a year in the U.S. alone have their first seizure and half of these people will continue to have seizures or experience seizure symptoms again in their lives. Many different things can cause them, including lifestyle changes, illness, injury, or even flashing lights that might appear in some movies or video games. There is no way to know for sure if someone will have more seizures in his lifetime until he has had one.

Other neurological symptoms like dizziness, memory loss, or unexplained pain

Seek a neurologist if your doctor feels that your medication may not be working, or you are experiencing possible side effects, or you just feel something is wrong. Calling in a specialist can help pinpoint the cause of your problem, and result in more effective treatment.

It’s not difficult to see why the nervous system is capable of producing multiple symptoms (while achieving just one goal). The upside is that the symptoms are what your doctor uses to arrive at a correct diagnosis. The downside is that it can take years and many doctors before the right diagnosis is made.

Having trouble remembering is a lot more than an inconvenience; it can significantly affect the way you live. Your ability to think, reason, solve problems, use language and communicate with others may be all that stands between you and social isolation. On the other hand, your memory loss might be part of another problem such as a brain injury or a psychological condition.