Neurological diseases affect the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and nerves. There over 600 different neurological diseases and disorders, many of which are quite common in the United States.

6 Prevalent Neurological Diseases 

We can’t cover all 600 neurological conditions, so we will touch on some of the most common and notable including:

• Stroke – When the brain’s blood vessels burst or become blocked, a stroke ensues. This is a very common neurological disorder afflicting over 600,000 Americans annually. It is the number one cause of long-term disability and third leading cause of death in the country.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, this devastating disorder slowly destroys nerve cells, leading to severe paralysis which eventually extends to the respiratory system, proving fatal. It is the most common motor neuron disease among Americans, with about 30,000 cases currently in the United States and about 5,000 more diagnosed annually.
• Muscular dystrophy refers to a series of neurological disorders that result from genetic abnormalities. Muscular dystrophy can cause severe mobility impairment and muscle weakness. It is predominantly a male disorder, affecting approximately 1 in every 3,500 to 6,000 American men.
• Epilepsy is a disorder that disrupts the brain’s electrical activity, causing repeat (sometimes life-threatening) seizures. Epilepsy is one of the more common neurological disorders affecting approximately 3 million Americans.
• Migraine disorder consists of a debilitating collection of neurological symptoms such as vision disruption, numbness, pain, light sensitivity and more. Migraine disorder is also prevalent in the United States, affecting approximately 12% of the American population.
• Parkinson’s is a disorder of the nervous system which gradually progresses to cause many disabling symptoms such as severe shaking, muscular problems, stiffness and speech problems. Nearly 10,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s annually.

Some Disorders Fit Into Multiple Categories

There are many common conditions with neurological components that fit under other categories as well such as:

• Developmental disorders like autism
• Psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia,
• Certain autoimmune diseases are also neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis
• Brain damage that stunts neurological development
• Degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease

Treatment

Treatment for neurological disorder varies, depending on the type of disease and each individual case. If you have symptoms in line with the above mentioned disorders, see your doctor soon for testing. If you have any questions, our board certified DocChat physicians are standing by 24/7/365. Thanks for visiting DocChat, we hope you’ll be back again soon!