On your first visit to a neurologist the neurologist will obtain your medical history and ask you about your current and past medical conditions which include any neurological symptoms you have.
The neurologist will also review your family history of neurological disorders, inquire about any medications that you're taking and perform a physical exam and may want to take some tests.
The neurologist will assess your reflexes, your coordination, gait and balance and test your muscle sensation and muscle strength and evaluate your cognitive function like attention, problem solving and memory.
The neurologist may also order some tests such as blood tests, imaging tests, CT scans, MRI or EEG tests to help diagnose your condition.
The neurologist will also listen carefully to any concerns you have and ask questions to understand your symptoms in detail.
A blood test can help to detect neurological problems.
The blood tests that detect neurological problems include Neurofilament Light blood test, Amyloid Beta and Tau Protein blood tests, Hormone level blood tests and auto antibodies blood tests.
The neurofilament light blood tests checks for elevated levels of NfL which can indicate that you have damage to nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord and can suggest conditions like Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis.
An Amyloid Beta and Tau proteins blood tests check for Tau proteins that are found in abnormal deposits in brains of people that have Alzheimer's disease.
An autoantibodies blood tests check for specific proteins in your nervous system which can indicate autoimmune disorders such as Guillain Barre syndrome or multiple sclerosis.
Hormone level blood tests check for abnormalities in certain hormones like thyroid hormones which can cause neurological symptoms and can also be detected through blood tests.
Doctors can diagnose a neurological disorder by performing a physical exam, reviewing your medical history and performing tests including a CT scan, MRI, lumbar puncture and blood tests.
The symptoms of a neurological disease are movement issues, sensation issues, headaches, vision issues, speech issues, memory issues, seizures, pain and other symptoms such as confusion, altered levels of consciousness, dizziness, fatigue or muscle rigidity.
When someone has a neurological disease it can cause movement issues such as abnormal movements, loss of balance, difficulty walking, tremors, paralysis and weakness.
Other symptoms of a neurological disease include.
Sensation issues such as loss of feeling, numbness, tingling or inability to sense touch.
Headaches which can be sudden and persistent or different.
Vision issues like loss of sight, double vision or other vision problems.
Speech issues such as slurred speech, sudden onset of stuttering and new language impairments.
Memory issues like memory loss or impaired mental ability.
Seizures such as nonepileptic seizures or episodes of shaking and apparent loss of consciousness.
Pain such as chronic migraines, back pain that spreads to your feet or your toes or shooting pain down one leg.
Several things can cause neurological diseases and problems.
The specific causes of neurological and neurological problems vary, but can include genetic disorders, congenital abnormalities or disorders, infections, lifestyle or environmental health problems including malnutrition, and brain injury, spinal cord injury or nerve injury.