Diseases of the Nervous System Include:
Alzheimer's Disease: A progressive, irreversible disease that slowly deteriorates brain tissue, and it affects cognitive thinking such as remembering, thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Alzheimer's Disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. He discovered it in the brain tissue of a woman that had died of an unusual mental illness. He examined her brain and found strange bundles of fibers on her brain (Officially called neurofibrillary tangles) and abnormal clumps (officially called amyloid plaques), which are two of the main features of Alzheimer's.
Scientists still aren't sure what causes Alzheimer's disease, but they think that damage to the brain starts nearly a decade or more before the problems become evident. People suffering from Alzheimer's are usually unable to live on their own, because they are unable to do the basic tasks that just take simple remembering. Scientists are putting heavy funding into curing or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's, with no success to date.
Parkinson's Disease (PD): Parkinson's Disease is a progressive disease of the Nervous System in which a person experiences deterioration of the motor system, with symptoms including uncontrollable shaking of appendages such as hands, jaw, arms, legs, or face; Stiffness or rigidity of arms, legs, or other body parts; slowness of movement; and having unstable posture, balance, or coordination. As PD progresses, shaking (The most common symptom) can become so bad that it can interfere with daily life. It can interfere in swallowing, chewing, speaking, even sleeping. People suffering from PD can also be linked to emotional change or depression, constipation or urinary problems, and other symptoms. The only way to definitely prove that someone would have PD is by genetic research and a neurological scan, which makes the disease difficult to diagnose accurately.
As of today, there is no official cure for Parkinson's Disease, but a variety of medications are available to help reduce the effects of the symptoms. This makes life with PD hard, but treatable and manageable.
Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a nervous system disorder that causes a person to have seizures and can be caused in a variety of ways. It can be caused by tumors, strokes, brain damage or illness, or no obvious reason. Seizures are caused when a burst of abnormal electrical signals interrupt normal brain function. With Epilepsy, you are more prone to have seizures and you are considered to have Epilepsy after you have your second seizure. What happens during a seizure isn't always the same every time. For some people, a seizure is just staring blankly into nothing. For others it can be violent twitching of arms and legs and result in unconsciousness.
A seizure in itself doesn't really harm people, but if someone with epilepsy were to have a seizure while swimming or driving for example, they could harm themselves or other people. Usually, if an Epileptic has a seizure, any of their following seizures will be somewhat similar in nature and symptoms. There are actually many different types and names for seizures that a person may have. They are categorized as Focal (Partial) Seizures and Generalized Seizures. In a Focal Seizure, only part of the brain is affected and they aren't as violent or threatening as a type of generalized seizure. Generalized Seizures can vary in intensity from a blank stare and a loss of awareness to complete lack of muscular control, unconsciousness, extreme twitching, and more. Epilepsy is possible to get rid of, but there is no specified medical procedure that will work one-hundred percent of the time. Medication and treatment options are available, but Epileptics either get over having seizures or they don't. Epileptics are able to live their lives somewhat normally with their treatment and can possibly grow out of Epilepsy completely, but most of the time they are just able to manage it to a point where it doesn't control their lives.
A seizure in itself doesn't really harm people, but if someone with epilepsy were to have a seizure while swimming or driving for example, they could harm themselves or other people. Usually, if an Epileptic has a seizure, any of their following seizures will be somewhat similar in nature and symptoms. There are actually many different types and names for seizures that a person may have. They are categorized as Focal (Partial) Seizures and Generalized Seizures. In a Focal Seizure, only part of the brain is affected and they aren't as violent or threatening as a type of generalized seizure. Generalized Seizures can vary in intensity from a blank stare and a loss of awareness to complete lack of muscular control, unconsciousness, extreme twitching, and more. Epilepsy is possible to get rid of, but there is no specified medical procedure that will work one-hundred percent of the time. Medication and treatment options are available, but Epileptics either get over having seizures or they don't. Epileptics are able to live their lives somewhat normally with their treatment and can possibly grow out of Epilepsy completely, but most of the time they are just able to manage it to a point where it doesn't control their lives.
Multiple Sclerosis- Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a disease of the central nervous system in which the body's immune system attacks the spinal cord and brain. Scar tissue then builds up on Myelin of the nervous system (Imagine Myelin as telephone wires letting your body stay in contact with itself), caused by the immune system attacking it repeatedly. Because the Myelin is damaged, it slows down or stops the nerve transmission to the brain and the rest of the body. The symptoms and severity of MS can vary in many ways, depending on where Myelin has been broken down and how deteriorated it has become. Some common symptoms of MS include weakness; loss of coordination; blurred, hazy, or double vision; or eye pain. More developed symptoms can include fatigue, unusual sensations, or dizziness.
Doctors believe that MS can be caused by genetics combined with early environmental symptoms. And although there is no cure for MS, doctors can prescribe medications that reduce the activity of the nervous system. The medications can also slow down the progression of MS, which can help give people the time that their body needs to repair damaged nerves and Myelin. People with MS are advised to maintain a positive attitude, as depression and stress can progress the disease along further.
Doctors believe that MS can be caused by genetics combined with early environmental symptoms. And although there is no cure for MS, doctors can prescribe medications that reduce the activity of the nervous system. The medications can also slow down the progression of MS, which can help give people the time that their body needs to repair damaged nerves and Myelin. People with MS are advised to maintain a positive attitude, as depression and stress can progress the disease along further.
Brain Tumors- A brain tumor is any abnormal growth of tissue on the brain, and can either grow on the brain itself, or come from another part of the body and travel to the brain. A brain tumor can either be Benign (non-cancerous) or Malignant (cancerous). A Benign Tumor does not contain cancer cells and usually once it is removed it won't come back. Most Benign Tumors do not invade surrounding cells, and thus won't come back after you remove it. However these tumors can cause symptoms similar to Malignant tumors depending on their size or location in the brain. Malignant Tumors contain cancer cells. They usually grow very fast and invade surrounding tissue. Malignant tumors don't spread to other parts of the body very often, but they can come back after treatment. Tumors are usually caused by a genetic problem, exposure to a a harmful chemical, or exposure to radiation.
Symptoms of a brain tumor can include Headache, vomiting, nausea, personality changes, depression, and more. To date, there are many treatments to cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or brain surgery, but these aren't always guaranteed to work. Scientists are receiving heavy funding to try to find a cure for general cancer, but no one is sure if or when a cure will become available.
Symptoms of a brain tumor can include Headache, vomiting, nausea, personality changes, depression, and more. To date, there are many treatments to cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or brain surgery, but these aren't always guaranteed to work. Scientists are receiving heavy funding to try to find a cure for general cancer, but no one is sure if or when a cure will become available.