What can you do to protect your nervous system?

Epilepsy Most common neurological disorder in US Seizure disorder(must have 2 or more)—electrical impulses causing sometimes severe muscle contractions Grand Mal—large and obvious Petite Mal—small, sometimes unnoticable Can be caused by injuries, illness, abnormal brain wiring, imbalance of chemicals

Meningitis Affects the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid (shock absorber in brain) Caused by either bacteria or virus—which is worse?? Can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability Accompanied by high fever, headache, stiff neck; also possibly nausea, vomiting, difficulty seeing in bright light, confusion, lethargy The worst cases can cause death

StrokeakaBrain Attack Caused by heart problems, high BP, build up of plaque in arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the brain Specific cause—blood clot in brain or blood vessel bursts in brain May experience numbness in face, arm, and/or leg usually focused on one side; sudden confusion, trouble talking or seeing, loss of balance, severe headache; paralysis which can be permanent; death Treat with blood thinners and clot dissolving meds FAST???

Alzheimer’s Most common form of dementia Changes in brain tissue; loss of nerve cells, chemical levels, not fully understood; age and family history Causes forget- fullness and memory loss No cure but meds to slow progression; keep brain active Usually occurs 65+

Brain Tumor Benign? Malignant? Which is worse? Can they both be bad?? Primary—start within the brain Metastatic—start elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain Cancer comes from changes that occur in genetic material, previous radiation exposure, exposure to chemicals, family history May cause headaches, seizures, speech problems, impaired vision, weakness in parts of the body, problems with understanding, thinking, and memory Treated by radiation, chemo, surgical removal when possible Benign is more common in women

Poliomyelitis No longer common in the US—epidemic in the 40s and 50s. Caused by a virus spread through human waste— contaminated food and water Causes fever, tiredness, vomiting, neck stiffness, leg and arm pain, and sometimes paralysis Prevented with vaccine, no cure, treat symptoms FDR

Parkinson’s Usually an elderly disease Unknown cause—thought to have something to do with the chemical dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain Causes shaking or tremors in hands and arms, but can also occur in legs, feet or jaw (more prevalent at rest); muscle aches and stiffness, balance problems, “poker face,” and drooling Surgery may help symptoms, meds to balance the chemicals within the brain, no cure Michael J. Fox and Mohammed Ali

Multiple Sclerosis Affects the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells Remitting—comes and goes Progressive—keeps getting worse Unknown cause of the myelin being scarred (sclerosis), but does not allow the nerves to communicate effectively Can cause numbness, tingling, weaknesses, fatigue, dizziness, double or blurry vision, blindness; most severe cases cause muscle spasms, bowel and bladder problems, slurred speech, sexual problems, paralysis, confusion, memory loss No cure but meds help control (steroids and adapting lifestyle) affected in US; affects women more than men; usually between the ages of 20 and 40

Paralysis Caused by injury to brain or spinal cord; injury or illness in nerves; stroke; polio Causes loss of muscle function in part of the body Hemiplegia Paraplegia Quadraplegia Treatments include stem cells, retraining body, and physical therapy—often irreversible

What can you do to protect yourself? ?