Disorders of the Nervous System: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

The nervous system can be altered by a multitude of disorders or alterations of the organism.

Depending on the disorder or pathology in question, the affectation will vary. In other words, a single nerve, a body area and/or a large number of nerves may be involved.

But what exactly is the altered nervous system, what are its symptoms and causes, and how can it be prevented?

Impaired nervous system: general symptoms and manifestations

The alteration of the nervous system gives rise to the appearance of a series of manifestations that can help us to detect the problem.

Although these can vary among the different disorders, as well as depending on the root cause, there are symptoms that are relatively common to the different disorders. Among the symptoms of the altered nervous system are included:

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    • Numbness and tingling sensations.

    • Headaches, including migraines.

    • Muscle weakness.

    • Painful sensation and sensitivity to touch.

In addition, it should be noted that the problems leading to the disturbance may affect one part of the system, as in complex regional pain syndromes; or involve the entire nervous system.

This will also determine the type of symptoms and the body site or areas in which they manifest themselves.

Why is the nervous system altered?

The nervous system can be altered by multiple causes. In some cases the alteration is due to other diseases, which do not necessarily have a nervous origin.

That is to say, in these situations the alteration of the nervous system appears as collateral damage or a problem associated with other types of pathologies. An example of this is the appearance of neurological problems derived from diabetes.

Of course, the problem may be due to a direct affectation of the nervous system, either by trauma, pathologies of different nature or other reasons.

Thus, altered nervous system, symptoms and consequences may be due, for example, to:

    • Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the body itself, specifically the nervous system. Its most characteristic symptoms include a tingling sensation in the legs and muscle weakness.

    • Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, whose early symptoms are usually tremors and contractions in the limbs; or multiple sclerosis, in which tingling, numbness or weakness may appear, among many other symptoms.

    • When the problem is caused by compression of a nerve, depending on where it occurs, disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome may appear.

    • The alteration of the nervous system can also be due, for example, to alcoholism.

    • Other conditions that can alter the nervous system are vascular disorders at the cerebral level, epilepsy, meningitis and concussions and brain trauma, among others.

How can nervous system disorders be avoided?

When the nervous system problems or symptoms that we experience are due to another underlying disease, such as diabetes, it will be essential to treat that pathology.

In these cases, treating the cause or origin will be fundamental to solve and/or improve the nervous symptomatology. There are alsomeditation and mindfulness techniques that have been proven to work to relax the nervous system.

Although we cannot always avoid the appearance of alterations of the nervous system, there are different measures that can help us to prevent the occurrence of all of them and keep us as healthy as possible in case of suffering them. One of these fundamental measures is food.

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Specifically, to help our nervous system stay healthy and function properly, we should follow a healthy, varied and balanced diet.

It is also advisable to reinforce our diet with a supplement that helps us to specifically protect our nervous system, such as G7 Neuro Health.

Among other things, this supplement based on organic silicon and biotin contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and protects the brain from the harmful effects and accumulation of aluminum.

This is important because aluminum, in addition to being the main inducer of oxidative stress in the brain, is a heavy metal that is linked to the onset of nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis.

Beyond food and supplementation for optimal nutritional coverage, it will also be important to maintain a healthy weight, avoiding obesity and overweight. This will help us to prevent, for example, the occurrence of diabetes or high cholesterol.

It will also be convenient to do regular physical exercise, as it will help us both to maintain a healthy weight and to achieve general well-being.

Finally, it will also be important to give up harmful habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption, as these can lead to an altered nervous system and symptoms such as those mentioned above.



Dra. Maria del Mar Sabaté Martínez
Written by Dra. Maria del Mar Sabaté Martínez

PhD URV 2006, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia Tesis: Estudi fisiopatològic de l'acció d'anticossos IgM anti-GM2 d'un pacient sobre la unió neuromuscular Afiliación actual: URV, Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques

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