Neurological Conditions

Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome focuses on symptom relief.  1. Medication choices may include:  Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen, which aim to relieve joint/ muscle pain, headaches and fevers.  Anti-convulsants, also called anti-seizure medicines such as gabapentin and pregabalin are used for pain and sleep problems. Narcotics such as tramadol, codeine or morphine, is sometimes prescribed for severe pain not relieved…

Tips for management of CFS  Diet guidelines Nutritionists advise on eating right as it increases energy levels, strengthens immunity and helps one feel better. Extreme diets should be avoided as they can worsen your symptoms. Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, grains, fruits, protein and dairy. Certain foods can trigger symptoms or make them worse. Such foods are: Fatty and fried foods Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Nutrasweet (aspartame) Cigarettes or tobacco products Things like…

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome cannot be prevented but it can be managed and the symptoms can be treated. The best option is to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and meditate or do a fun activity to keep stress levels low.

The prognosis and clinical course of the disorder varies considerably. Some patients don’t recover for years due to poor recovery and high relapse rates. Lower recovery rates and higher relapse rates are associated with those who have had CFS for many years. Children can also be badly affected. Ones who have mild-to-moderate symptoms are more likely than adults to go into remission. If left untreated, CFS can lead to social loneliness, depression, deconditioning (weakness due to inactivity) and…

Tests to Diagnose CFS There's no single test to confirm a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. A variety of medical tests are done to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms.  CFS and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) Some people believe that CFS and ME are two separate conditions while others believe that the two conditions are the same but symptoms are different. Myalgic means muscle aches or pains and Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.…

How to effectively manage migraine Patient education and trigger avoidance: The patient needs to understand the nature of the headache and what triggers it. The triggers need to be avoided. To help, the patient can keep a pain diary to record the features, duration and intensity of pain, along with trigger factors and associated symptoms. The treatment options are listed here Know your support team: Who can help General practitioners Neurologists Internal medicine specialists Specialists in…

Causes of Migraine Causes are multifactoral with various genetic and environmental factors playing important roles. The patient may have a history of migraine in the family. Mutations of the gene in chromosome 1 and 19 are responsible for positive family history. Disturbances in the release of certain brain chemicals called serotonin and dopamine may also cause migraine. Migraine has two parts: 1) the aura and 2) the headache. (Symptoms of aura are mentioned below.) Cerebral blood vessels…

How is Migraine diagnosed? Migraine cannot be diagnosed clearly by neuroimaging yet. Neuroimaging, like MRI, is done to exclude other conditions associated with headache, like a blood clot in the brain. Migraine diagnosis is based on history taking. The clinical criteria to confirm migraine are: Migraine without aura At least 5 headache attacks (in 15 days or more per month for more than 3 months) fulfilling 2 to 4 of the criteria given below. Headache lasting 4 to 72 hours The headache has…

Prevention of migraine attacks ⦁    Recognise your triggers and avoid them. ⦁    Stay hydrated and get enough sleep. ⦁    Follow stress reduction techniques or relaxing techniques. ⦁   Alternately, your doctor may prescribe preventive medications like beta blockers calcium channel blockers, monoclonal antibodies etc . These drugs reduce the frequency and intensity of the migraine attack. Read more on these options here   References   1…

Symptoms of Migraine Migraine pain can vary from mild to severe. If mild, patient has a tight feeling in the head and neck. In a severe migraine attack, the patient experiences throbbing pulsatile (pulsating) pain, which spreads to the shoulder and neck, too. Pain in adults may last for 4 to 72 hours, whereas in children it lasts for 2 to 4 hours. There are 4 phases in a migraine attack. They are:   Premonitory phase: This phase is also called prodromal symptom, which includes physical…