You must have heard of neurology before, the medical discipline that deals with the entire nervous system, its functions and diseases. The focus of this branch of medicine is precisely the central nervous system, as well as peripheral nerves and their connection with muscles.
A significant number of people come into contact with a neurologist in the course of their lives, and the reasons are different. He is a doctor who specializes in this discipline and who treats various neurological conditions, autoimmune disorders, migraines, and movement disorders.
Every visit to the doctor can be particularly stressful, especially if you are used to feeling healthy, but it is extremely important that we listen to our body when something changes, so that we can help it. However, there is no need to be afraid when you are prepared in advance for what you should expect during the neurology examination itself.
When it is necessary to visit a doctor – common symptoms
There is no need to panic about potential problems, but it is important to monitor the frequency of recurrence of certain symptoms, which may require you to visit the neurology department.
The most common symptoms include forgetfulness, loss of consciousness, vision problems, tingling, vertigo. Also, other symptoms include things like taste and smell disturbances, difficulty swallowing, muscle cramps, neck or back pain, headaches, as well as problems with balance and coordination.
What should be done before the examination itself?
In order to find out all the necessary information, it is important to write down your symptoms and the main reasons for the visit in advance in a concise way, so that you do not leave anything out. The advice here is not to question too much what you feel, that is, to focus on what is the main problem, without excessively trying to find some other potential symptoms.
It may be useful to keep a symptom diary for some time before the examination, where you would describe when they appeared, how long they lasted and how intense they were. Again, don’t stress too much and wait for a manifestation, but simply write down when you feel something.
Of course, if you went to a general practitioner or some other specialist before being referred to neurology, it is important to bring the reports and results of the analyzes with you if you did them.
In addition to this, prepare a list of all medications and vitamins you are currently taking, as well as any allergies you have, in order to save time.
What does the neurology examination itself look like?
If by now you have decided that it is necessary for the existing problem neurology Belgrade has great specialists in many different locations with state-of-the-art equipment, so if you live nearby or are willing to travel for an exam, you can easily find them there.
When you come to the doctor’s office, you first talk to the neurology specialist, so that he can hear from the patient all the complaints, their intensity, as well as how long they last – that is, everything that brings him to it. This is followed by a part of the examination, where psychological and physical functions are evaluated in the form of certain tests.
It is necessary for the doctor to examine what the speech functions are like, what the memory is like, as well as basic things like time and space, in order to see the patient’s general state of consciousness.
Everything from movement and hearing to muscle function and reflexes is then examined, which is important to check for any disturbances or injuries that cause conditions such as muscle paralysis.
Maybe at one point the whole process will look funny, because the doctor will ask you to stand on one leg, touch your nose, raise and lower your knee, but all this is for the purpose of checking the coordination of movements.
So, you have learned that the examination is not invasive, and it is not unpleasant, it can even be interesting, because it is not a typical examination with a stethoscope, but requires greater involvement of the patient, all for the purpose of checking motor functions.
Further analyzes are required
If necessary, at the end of the neurology examination itself, you will be directed to some other analyzes in order to determine the source of the problem you are having. Mainly, this further diagnosis consists of magnetic resonanceEEG, EMNG or ultrasound, which depends on his assessment.
To many, the mention of magnetic resonance imaging sounds scary, but it represents one of the most modern diagnostic methods, which can be used to examine absolutely all parts of the body. It has no harmful effects on patients, so it can be done several times.
EEG, or electroencephalography, is used to monitor electrical activity in the brain and is also a non-invasive method. The process itself is very simple, and if you are afraid of magnetic resonance due to staying indoors, you won’t have that problem with EEG.
Special electrodes are placed on the head, and brain activity, or different brain waves, are measured through them. With the help of this process, epilepsy can be diagnosed, but it is also used for many other things, such as sleep disorders.
Source: www.economy.rs
