3 Times When You Will See A Nervous Systems Specialist

There are certain illnesses and health concerns that you know you'll need a specialist for. These specialists are generally seen after a referral from your primary physician. There are some common specialists, but one that is not so common to hear is a nervous system specialist. If you have never heard of this particular type of specialist, you may be wondering when you would need to see one. Here are three times when you will see this particular type of specialist and what they do for each health issue.

Alzheimer's Disease

When you think of a nervous system specialist, or the nervous system at all, you may not think of Alzheimer's disease. The truth is that Alzheimer's affects several aspects of the neurological system. These areas include brain function that can affect the way your body moves or reacts to memory, behavior, and daily function. If your physician feels that you are showing signs of Alzheimer's, especially early onset symptoms, they will send you to the nervous systems specialist for an analysis and testing. They will look for delays in your nervous system reaction as well as processing delays with thought and memory.

Shingles

Shingles is an illness that many people are aware of, but don't know much about. This illness is painful and shows up in rash form. It is connected to the chicken pox virus. If you are showing up with painful blisters and rash-like symptoms over your body, your doctor may first rule out basic rashes and contact rash forms. If the rash doesn't heal and the blisters become worse over time, then the physician will refer you to a nervous systems specialist to further rule out other rashes and irritations and arrive at the diagnosis of shingles. Keep in mind, you have a higher chance of getting this illness if you did have chicken pox in the past.

Stroke and Related Issues

When you have an event that reduces the blood flow to the brain for an extended period of time, this can result in a stroke. Strokes affect the nervous system directly and cause several issues. One of the most common issues with a stroke is a paralysis on one or both sides of your body. This may be mild and show with a slight drop in the facial muscles, or it could become massive and affect walking, arm movement, and range of motion. A nervous systems specialist will be able to determine how far reaching the stroke has grown and if there are any treatment plans available to reduce further strokes.

If you are experiencing issues that may lead to any of these illnesses, you may be referred to a nervous system specialist. Make sure that these type of care is covered under your insurance. Also, ask your doctor any questions you have about the specialist before your appointment. This will help ease you into the appointment and keep your mind open to the treatment plan the specialist has in mind.


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