BSES MG Hospital

A stroke, also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult(CVI), or brain attack, occurs when a part of the brain is deprived of blood flow. When the brain cells are deprived of oxygen they begin to die. When brain cells die, the functions controlled by that part of the brain also stops, which results in different types of disabilities among stroke survivors.

There are two types of strokes

• Hemorrhagic
• Ischemic stroke

The first is caused when a brain aneurysm or a weak blood vessel bursts. Most of the time, this type of stroke leads to death. The second one happens when a clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Patients suffering from stroke suffer from various side-effects, the most common ones being paralysis or loss of feeling in a certain part of the body, problem in understanding or talking and loss of vision in one side. The side-effects start showing up regularly after a person has had a stroke.

In certain conditions, blood flow to a certain part of the brain stops for only some time and hence the body suffers stroke like symptoms which only last a couple of hours before disappearing. This is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Unfortunately, the effects of a stroke can be debilitating and also permanent. Hence its important to know the symptoms of a stroke and rush the patient to a doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes early treatment can save a lot of damage.

The primary symptoms of stroke are as follows:

1. Confusion and problems with talking and comprehension
2. Headache along with alteration of consciousness or vomiting
3. Numbness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body
4. Issue with seeing, in one or both eyes
5. Inability to walk with stability, including disrupted coordination
6. Problems with the bladder and bowel control
7. Acute depression
8. Body temperature fluctuates, and pain worsens with movement
9. Paralysis on one side of the body along with fatigue
10. Problem in expressing or controlling emotions

Risk Factors:

• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Increased Cholesterol
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Sedentary Lifestyle

Diagnosis of stroke

Several tests are carried out to determine the type of stroke acquired. They are:

1. Physical examination, which involves observing the patient's overall condition.
2. Blood tests
3. CT scans
4. MRI scans
5. Cerebral angiogram
6. Echocardiograms

Stroke is a fatal brain disease and can cause permanent damage to your system so its best to check with your doctor to know how you can prevent it.

Dementia is a general classification of a brain disease that causes a long haul and frequently steady abatement in the capacity to think and recall that is sufficiently incredible to influence a man's everyday  functioning. Other normal manifestations incorporate passionate issues, issues with dialect, and a lessening in motivation. An individual's awareness is not influenced. The most common example of dementia is the Alzheimer's disease.

Physiotherapy for Dementia:
A patient with dementia can benefit from physiotherapy regardless of the possibility that the patient can't perceive their own family. Physiotherapy, notwithstanding, can be of good advantage to the individual who has dementia and also their family and parental figures at different stages. The principle explanation behind this is that recovery administrations can help the dementia patient to be as utilitarian as would be prudent for whatever length of time that is conceivable. Here are 5 ways physiotherapy benefits an Alzheimer's patient:

1. Physiotherapy can keep up the Alzheimer's patient's freedom and mobility as much as one could expect reasonably. A physiotherapist can outline a home activity program and work intimately with relatives to administer to the Alzheimer's patient.
2. Physiotherapists, as independent experts, embrace much detailed, separately custom-made appraisals of the disorders, action confinements and restrictions imposed upon individuals with dementia.
3. The caretakers of individuals with dementia regularly show weakness when contrasted with their same aged companions. Physiotherapy helps with diminishing the weight of consideration by instructing caregivers to provide encouragement and upliftment to individuals with dementia.
4. Patients with dementia are always at a risk of falling down and hurting themselves. Poor balance accounts for the danger of falls. This can be worked upon and improved by physiotherapy driven exercises. Exercise can have a huge and positive effect on behavioral and mental indications of dementia, enhancing psychological capacity and mindset, which can decrease the doses of strong medicines. Special exercise routines are assigned to the patients which help improve their body balance while walking.    
5. Physiotherapy has crucial influence in advancing and keeping up portability of individuals with dementia. It assumes a basic part in the end of life consideration by overseeing situations, seating and complicated muscle contracture. Individuals with dementia regularly experience issues in communicating pain. Pain influences cognizance, inspiration and reaction to any intervention. Physiotherapists are specialists in recognizing and treating pain in dementia patients and give training to care home staff and caregivers of the patients.

Physiotherapy is very important for dementia patients. Regular physiotherapy sessions are beneficial for patients for improvement in condition.

Epilepsy is a relatively common disorder. Most cases of epilepsy can be controlled with a combination of drug therapy and healthy lifestyle. In some cases, surgery may also be advised. Epilepsy affects not only the lifestyle of the patient but also that of their caregiver.

A lot of things can be done to cope with the initial stages of dementia. A person goes through a wide range of emotions such as fear, denial, frustration, and anger, post the diagnosis. Here is a list of tips that will help a patient with dementia to cope better:

1. Physical health: For a dementia patient, it is very important to take care of one’s health. A good diet along with regular exercise and adequate rest is a prerequisite to manage this disorder.
2. Regular check-ups: Regular medical check-ups with the doctor are necessary in this condition. Depression and other mental health problems should be discussed with a professional.
3. Quit alcohol: Alcohol might give momentary pleasure from the misery, but it has long-standing implications. It reacts with the medicine and creates additional health and memory-related complications.
4. Allocate time for difficult tasks: With time, it can become difficult to perform even the simplest of tasks. The patient should accordingly schedule the time to perform the tasks which may be difficult to carry out. Adequate breaks should be taken while performing a task to avoid getting fatigued.
5. Redefine work: If a patient is suffering from dementia is still working, it should be ensured that the work is more manageable from a desk. Planning an early retirement may be a good idea in order to cope with dementia.
6. Be organised: Keeping track of things can get difficult with time. It, therefore, makes sense to organise all belongings systematically. Putting labels on doors and drawers also help.
7. Continue pursuing your hobbies: Amidst the difficulty and the depression, it is a good idea to continue doing things that are fun. While such activities might require some assistance from the doctor and family members, this helps the patient to be cheerful and healthy.
8. Maintain notes: Since dementia is involved with forgetfulness, it makes sense to maintain a diary and keep records of phone numbers, people, appointments, etc.
9. Communication channel: Maintaining a direct communication channel with family, friends, and relatives is a good idea. Sharing feelings will go a long way in maintaining relations with loved ones.
10. Support group: Joining a dementia support group can be highly beneficial for the patient. It will not only give the patient company but also make sure that the patient gets a lot of useful information about the disorder. It also helps in keeping the morale up.
11. Getting ready for the future: Things need to be meticulously planned well in advance to ensure that when the disease progresses, the patient has enough people to look after him. Things such as medical arrangements, financial assets, and property details should be carefully handed over as per the patient's wish. This will ensure a smooth run of the patients’ life when they can no longer take care of themselves.
     

Neurology is the branch of science and medicine dealing with the central and peripheral nervous system. The nervous system is made of the brain and spinal cord. The disorders, illness or injuries of the nervous system can become problematic for people suffering from them. One of the worst diseases of the nervous system is Parkinson’s disease.

It is a progressive disorder affecting the central nervous system that leads to slowing down of movement and slurring of speech over a period of time. It is a condition where the nerve cells in the brain producing dopamine (a neurotransmitter) are affected.

Some of the early signs of Parkinson’s include:

1. Tremor: If you have noticed a slight shaking of your hands or limbs, then Parkinson’s might be the cause. The trembling can range from mild to severe as the disease progresses. The back-and-forth rubbing of your thumb and forefinger is known as pill-rolling tremor. One of the most prominent signs is your hand shaking even when it is rested.
2. Bradykinesia (slow movement): As the disease progresses, you may find it difficult to move your hands or legs or going from one place to another. Even making the smallest movement will require an increased effort on your part.
3. Rigid Muscles: The muscles in your body can become stiff causing you pain and making it difficult to perform physical activities.
4. Masked Face: Your face may experience spasms or become stiff periodically. It can also lead to complete paralysis on one side of the face.
5. Stooping or improper balance: Having Parkinson’s disease can make your body posture imbalanced resulting in stooping or hunching over.
6. Decreased Automatic Movements: You may experience difficulty in smiling, blinking or swinging your arms while walking.
7. Alteration in voice or speaking: Your voice can become soft or you may slur while talking. You can also experience a monotonous voice.
8. Writing may become small: You can experience changes in your handwriting as it becomes small and crowded.
9. Loss of Smell: The smell of food sitting right in front of you may not register in your olfactory resulting in loss of appetite.
10. Constipation: Having Parkinson’s disease can lead to patients experiencing irritable bowel syndrome.
11. Have Trouble Sleeping: It might be difficult to fall asleep for people suffering from Parkinson’s. Also, there are sudden movements during the sleeping process.
12. Dizziness: People suffering from Parkinson’s may faint from time to time.

These were some of the symptoms and signs by which you can tell whether a person has Parkinson’s or not. However, as of now it is not curable and can only be treated with medicines. But, early detection can definitely help in preventing it from affecting the whole body.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological, irreversible, progressive brain disorder. It is a chronic neurodegenerative dementia that causes the death of brain cells, causing memory loss and cognitive decline. It affects a person’s thinking and behavior. The symptoms develop slowly and get worse as time passes.

Causes:
As it is a kind of dementia, Alzheimer’s is caused by the death of brain cells. Over a course of time, brain cells die progressively and at the end, the tissue is left with fewer nerve cells and connections. As a result, the total brain size shrinks. Tiny inclusions called plaques and tangles can be seen in the postmortem. These cannot be seen or tested in a living Alzheimer’s affected brain. These plaques are given the name “amyloid plaques” because they are found among the dying cells of the brain when a protein called beta-amyloid builds. The tangles stay in the neurons; they are formed from a protein called tau.

There are several reasons behind all this, some of which are listed below-

1. Anti-anxiety medications
2. Hitting on the head too many times
3. Regularly sleep-deprived
4. Loneliness
5. Diabetes in the brain
6. Old age
7. Genetic line
8. Down’s syndrome
9. Cardiovascular diseases

Symptoms:
Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain, so the clinical signs and symptoms begin to show very early. The symptoms are-

1. Memory loss
2. Agitation and mood swings
3. Poor judgment
4. The trouble with money calculations
5. Difficulty doing familiar tasks
6. Trouble in planning or solving a problem
7. Confusion with time and place
8. Difficulty in communicating
9. Loss of motivation
10. Inappropriate behavior
11. Aggressive personality
12. Childlike behavior

Preventing Alzheimer’s disease:
Alzheimer’s disease ultimately results in death. Even if there are treatments, they cannot fully cure it. So it’s better to try to prevent it before it happens. Ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease are-

1. Eating more fruits and vegetables.
2. Eating berries every day.
3. Increasing omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Taking folic acid supplements.
5. Drinking grape juice or red wine with evening meal.
6. Doing the Mediterranean style diet.
7. Controlling the blood pressure.
8. Having strong social support.

Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease:

1. Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is a long time process.
2. First of all, doctors perform a physical exam to check the overall neurological health. By this, they check muscle strength, reflexes, walking ability, sense of sight and hearing, coordination and balance.
3. Then comes the blood test to find the cause of confusion and memory loss by checking the thyroid disorder and vitamin deficiency.
4. Then they perform the neuropsychological test and check the mental status.
5. Then there are other tests, like MRI, CT, and PET.
6. After all this, drugs are given and a safe and supportive environment is created with proper exercise and nutrition.

Alzheimer’s disease is undoubtedly the worst kind of disease. Hence, it is highly recommended to contact a doctor as soon as any symptom is noticed.

While most noise is just in the background for us, loud noises, either in small spurts or prolonged exposure, can cause hearing loss. This has been happening more frequently as the levels of noise in an industrialized society go further up.

Noise induced hearing loss explained
Loud noises may damage the sensitive structure of your ear, which process the sound waves into information. They eventually become nonfunctional, resulting in a loss of hearing in that range. If exposure to loud noises continues, then this might extend to the entire range of hearing and may cause total hearing loss.

What may cause noise induced hearing loss?
Some of the scenarios which may cause noise induced hearing loss are as follows:
1. Listening to music on high volume: If you constantly listen to music or watch movies at your home on very loud levels, then it may result in noise induced hearing loss. In fact, listening to music or watching movies with headphones in your ears is one of the leading causes for hearing loss. Headphones have deceptively loud levels and may result in damaged hearing overtime.

2. Noise of household tools: Household tools such as drills, mixers, grinders, mowers, and saws can expose you to loud levels of noise. Even a quick exposure for a few seconds could temporarily damage your hearing. 

3. Occupational problems: Occupations such as construction, factory work and military that require the use of power tools on a constant basis can also cause hearing loss. The sound from the resulting friction might damage your hearing very quickly. Explosions and impacts are also causes of hearing loss in the military and law enforcement departments.

Prevention and treatment
Treatment: It is difficult to treat hearing loss as in most cases; it may be permanent, except sudden shocks, when your hearing might come back to normal. The only treatments for hearing loss are hearing aids or cochlear implantswhich can restore hearing partially.

Prevention: Prevention is the best method to avoid hearing loss and in most cases, you should wear ear protection such as mufflers or sound level reduction devices to protect your hearing. Also, practice listening to music, watching TV or movies at lower levels, especially if you are on the headphones.