Overview
Neurology is a branch of medicine, that deals with all the issues of the nervous system. Neurology has a very important role to play in medicine, consisting of diagnosis and treatment of all the conditions and diseases involving the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and their subdivisions, the somatic and autonomic nervous system. Including their blood vessels, coverings, and all effector tissues. The central nervous system is in charge of the brain and spinal cord while the peripheral nervous system is in charge of all other neural elements such as eyes, ears, skin, etc. Neurology relies on the scientific study of the nervous system called ‘neuroscience’. Like every other specialty, neurology has two branches: medicine and surgical. The medicine specialist is called a ‘neurologist’ and the surgical specialist is called a ‘neurosurgeon.
Neurologists are specialist doctors who are responsible for the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases and conditions with the brain and the nervous system.
Usually, you’ll get referred to a neurologist by another doctor if they think you have an illness or condition that requires special treatment in neuro.
While neurosurgeons and neurologists diagnose and treat the issues related to the nervous system. A neurologist cannot do any surgery. Whenever a neurologist finds anything disturbing in your report, they’ll refer you to a neurosurgeon if they think you have a condition that requires surgical intervention such as a tumor or any other physical condition that cannot be treated through drugs, therapy, or any other non-surgical treatment options.
Although neurosurgeons specialize in surgery; they don’t just do surgeries, neurosurgeons can also help you with diagnosis and treatment through non-surgical options.
The nervous system is a very complex part of the human body; hence some neurologists specialize further in a specific area. Some examples of neurology subspecialties include:
A neurologist’s main responsibility is to manage and treat any neurological problem or condition you might have. If you are having problems with your senses, such as smell, hearing, touch, vision. Although not usually but rarely it might be because of a nervous system disorder, for which you have to see a neurologist.
As stated above, if you’re experiencing pain or discomfort with your senses you might need to visit a neurologist, although, there are many different reasons and symptoms for which you might need help from a neurologist, some of the reasons include;
Migraines
Migraines are severe headaches that can last from hours to sometimes days. If you’re experiencing throbbing pain in your head, nausea, or sensitivity to light or sounds, a visit to a neurologist’s clinic can help you find the cause and manage your headache.
Serious memory issues
Some amount of forgetfulness is common but if you’re experiencing serious memory issues that affect your daily life, your brain might be affected in some way. These changes can start slow but become very severe after some time and develop into serious conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer's, so if you’re concerned with your memory issues you should definitely visit a neurologist.
Stroke
If you’re experiencing numbness (usually on one side of the body), weakness, confusion, loss of balance, loss of vision, severe headache. You might be having a stroke and you need to go to a neurologist immediately, as a neurologist can treat a stroke as it’s happening or help you recover after.
Dizziness
If you’re experiencing vertigo (feeling like you’re spinning) or you’re having difficulty keeping your balance, it might be a sign of some neurological disorder.
Neurologists may need to do a lot of procedures to diagnose and treat a condition affecting your nervous system including nerve conduction study (NCS), Electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography, Lumbar puncture, Electroencephalogram, and many more. Neurologists may also do different tests to diagnose an issue including, computed tomography (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
