Neurological Disorders and Their Treatments Explained

Introduction

Neurological disorders are illnesses that happen due to a condition caused by a dysfunction in a part of the brain or the central nervous system. All neurological disorders affect the brain, spinal cord, or the nerves and the symptoms of such diseases depend on where they occur. Some of the common neurological illnesses are epilepsy, dementia, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s.

Symptoms of a neurological disorder can vary from person to person, depending upon its severity. The signs can be both physical and psychological, including:

• Body Pain – People suffering from neurological disorders can suffer from various body aches such as a chronic headache, back pain, neck pain, or joint pain.
• Numbness – Some patients may experience a partial or complete loss of sensation in their body. Such people may be unable to feel any sensation related to temperature, pain, touch, and face problems with coordination or performing any physical tasks.
• Issues with Sleep – Those suffering from neurological disorders can become victims of insomnia, where they are not able to sleep, or hypersomnia, which involves sleeping too much. Such problems usually give way to other mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.

Besides these symptoms, some patients may also show behavioural problems such as a short-temper or getting irritated easily, as well as face cognitive problems, or difficulty in understanding things.

Causes of Neurological Disorders

There are several reasons why some people fall prey to neurological disorders. While certain patients have a family history of mental illnesses, others are affected due to external circumstances. Let us understand some of the common causes of neurological disorders.

• Prenatal and Perinatal Causes – The chances of an individual being affected by a neurological disorder can be determined in the womb itself. During pregnancy, if the mother shows a high consumption of alcohol, lead, mercury, tobacco, or is deficient in certain nutrients, it can result in developmental abnormalities in the brain of the unborn child. Similarly, the transfer of certain diseases from the mother to the child, such as HIV, rubella, and herpes can put the baby at a higher risk for disorders like cerebral palsy. Lastly, being born premature or having a low birth weight can potentially result in various cognitive impairments like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), speech and language impairments, and epilepsy.
• Congenital Causes – Genes play a crucial role in influencing the development of neurological disorders. Factors such as gene abnormalities, chromosome abnormalities, metabolic disorders, and changes in chromosome structure, can increase the likelihood of a person being affected by a neurological disorder. Gene deformities are usually inherited by an individual from their parents.
• Acquired Causes and Injuries – Although some people may neither have any genetic abnormalities nor a family history of disorders, they may still fall prey to neurological problems in future. Chronic illnesses such as autoimmune encephalitis can result in emotional stunting and seizures, while infections like encephalitis and meningitis can cause hearing impairments, memory loss, poor vision, epilepsy and problems in coordination. Furthermore, a traumatic injury to the brain or spinal cord may also cause people to develop neurological disorders.

How to treat a neurological disorder

There are various forms of treatments available, depending upon the severity of the problem. While some patients are administered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) involving the reorientation of their thoughts and behaviour, others are simply prescribed medication along with clinical care to manage and keep the effects of neurological disorders under control. Certain patients, such as those struggling with alcohol and drug abuse are admitted to rehab centres, where they are taught skills required to live normal and healthy lives.

Since many neurological diseases are chronic in nature, patients have to bear medical expenses throughout their lives. As a result, many worry that they may not be able to afford quality treatment. However, there are several ways in which people can foot their medical bills, one of them being Bajaj Finserv’s Health EMI Network Card. One can divide all their hospital bills into easy EMIs with the Digital EMI Network Card. The health insurance on Bajaj EMI Card protects patients from high medical costs and can be repaid annually on a premium. The health insurance on Bajaj EMI Card can be purchased for an individual alone, or for a family as well.

The process to apply for Bajaj Finserv’s Health EMI Network Card is quite easy. One only needs to complete basic KYC documentation online and the card gets activated instantly. With the health card online, one can pay all their expenses across Bajaj Finserv’s partner hospitals in India. Also, people can access the health card online anytime through the Bajaj Finserv Wallet App.