The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. These components are essential for movement, cognition, and feeling, and play a role in wound healing, breathing, heart rate, digestion, sleep, and many other important bodily functions.
Nervous system disorders disrupt these functions and lead to severe symptoms, some of which are life-threatening. The following are the most common nervous system disorders and how they affect the body.
Strokes are a serious medical condition that occur when blood flow to the brain is obstructed. Symptoms include confusion, problems speaking, headache, numbness or paralysis in one side of the body, vision issues, and problems walking. Medical professionals recommend using FAST to determine whether a stroke is occurring and to get help immediately:
Most strokes are caused by blocked arteries in the brain, but they can also result from ruptured blood vessels. A healthy lifestyle can lower a person’s risk of strokes, while timely medical attention can prevent major complications should one occur.
ALS impacts nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. As motor neurons begin to break down, people with ALS will experience problems walking, slurred speech, issues with swallowing, behavioural changes, weakness in the extremities, and unexplained emotional responses (such as crying or laughing). There’s no cure for ALS and damage caused by the condition cannot be reversed. However, medications and medical therapies can reduce the rate of decline and prevent more serious complications.
Parkinson’s disease can affect speech, movement, and facial expressions, as well as other bodily functions. Symptoms include:
The disease affects dopamine production, which decreases as neurons in the brain die off. As a progressive condition, the effects of Parkinson’s become more severe as time goes on. While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medications and surgical treatments can have a positive impact on symptoms.
MS affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The disease causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the covering of nerve fibres, which leads to symptoms like poor coordination, dizziness, cognitive issues, fluctuating mood, unsteady gait, and other physical effects.
People with MS can experience remissions, which are periods when the disease is dormant, as well as relapses, which can involve new and old symptoms. MS treatments focus on the symptoms of the disease. Corticosteroids can be used to reduce inflammation of the nerves, while other medications can lower the rate of relapses.
Similar to MS, GBS results from immune dysfunction. As the immune system attacks nerves throughout the body, the following symptoms can occur:
The cause of GBS is not fully understood, but the disorder often occurs a few weeks after an infection. While the effects can be severe, the majority of people impacted by GBS make a full recovery. There is no cure, but treatments can alleviate health effects and facilitate a faster recovery. Treatments include intravenously administered immunoglobulin, plasma exchange, and supportive therapies, such as pain medication, ventilators, and feeding tubes.