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Degenerative Nerve Diseases

Also called: Neurodegenerative diseases

Degenerative nerve diseases affect many of your body's activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic. Sometimes the cause is a medical condition such as alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke. Other causes may include toxins, chemicals, and viruses. Sometimes the cause is not known.

Degenerative nerve diseases include

Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. It depends on the type. Most of them have no cure. Treatments may help improve symptoms, relieve pain, and increase mobility.

Symptoms of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following features are indicative of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • forgetfulness
  • mild confusion
  • word-finding
  • vision or spatial issues
  • impaired reasoning or judgment
  • trembling of arms, hands, legs, face and jaw
  • stiffness of the legs, arms and trunk
  • slowness of movement
  • poor balance and coordination
It is possible that Degenerative Nerve Diseases shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

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Common Causes of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following are the most common causes of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • genetic factors
  • lifestyle factors
  • environmental factors

Other Causes of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following are the less common causes of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • alcoholism
  • tumor
  • stroke
  • exposure to toxins
  • exposure to chemicals
  • viral infections

Risk Factors for Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • aged people
  • family history and genetics
  • Down syndrome
  • being women
  • mild cognitive impairment
  • past head trauma
  • lifestyle and heart health
  • lifelong learning and social engagement
  • exposure to toxins

Prevention of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

No, it is not possible to prevent Degenerative Nerve Diseases.
  • mutation in APP, PSEN1, PSEN2 genes

Occurrence of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Degenerative Nerve Diseases cases seen each year worldwide:
  • Common between 1 - 10 Million cases

Common Age Group

Degenerative Nerve Diseases most commonly occurs in the following age group:
  • Aged > 50 years

Common Gender

Degenerative Nerve Diseases can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • Physical and neurological exam: To diagnose degenerative diseases
  • Blood tests: To find out causes of confusion and memory loss
  • Mental status and neuropsychological testing: To assess memory and thinking skills
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): To get detailed images of the brain
  • Computerized tomography (CT): To get cross-sectional images of the brain
  • Positron emission tomography (PET): To detect brain level of tangles and plaques

Doctor for Diagnosis of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • Neurologist

Complications of Degenerative Nerve Diseases if untreated

Yes, Degenerative Nerve Diseases causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Degenerative Nerve Diseases is left untreated:
  • thinking difficulties
  • depression and emotional changes
  • swallowing problems
  • sleep problems and sleep disorders

Procedures for Treatment of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following procedures are used to treat Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • Supportive psychotherapy: Helps mildly impaired people to adjust their illness
  • Reminiscence therapy: Discussion of past experiences personally or in group with the help of household items, photographs, sound recordings and music for mood and cognition
  • Simulated presence therapy: To reduce challenging behaviours by playing a voice recording of the close relatives of the patients
  • Validation therapy: Acceptance of the reality and personal truth of another's experience
  • Surgical procedures: Works by implanting the electrodes into a specific part of the brain to reduce tremor, rigidity and to halt the involuntary movements

Self-care for Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following self-care actions or lifestyle changes may help in the treatment or management of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • Have healthy diet: Take a diet which is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, eases the symptoms of disease
  • Exercise regularly: Regularly do exercise which increases the muscle strength, flexibility and balance
  • Get socially engaged: Helps to preserve mental function

Alternative Medicine for Treatment of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following alternate medicine and therapies are known to help in the treatment or management of Degenerative Nerve Diseases:
  • Do regular exercise: To improve mood and maintain the health of heart, muscles and joints
  • Intake of supplemental milkshakes with protein powders: Take diet enriched with nutrition, helps in treating Alzheimer's disease
  • Massage therapy: Reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation
  • Acupuncture therapy: Reduces the pain
  • Tai chi therapy: Improves flexibility, balance and muscle strength
  • Do yoga: Increase the flexibility and balance
  • Use alexander technique: Reduces muscle tension and pain
  • Do meditation: Reduces stress and pain and improve the sense of well-being
  • Music or art therapy: Keeps the mind relax
  • Music therapy: Improves the patient's walk and speech
  • Pet therapy: Having a dog or cat may increase movement and improves the emotional health

Patient Support for Treatment of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

The following actions may help Degenerative Nerve Diseases patients:
  • Calm and stable home environment: Reduce behavior problems
  • Education: Learn much about the disease
  • Join a support group: Interact with other people with the same condition to deal with your problems
  • Talk to friends and family: Sharing your feeling will boost your mood

Time for Treatment of Degenerative Nerve Diseases

While time-period of treatment for each patient may vary, below is the typical time-period for Degenerative Nerve Diseases to resolve if treated properly under an expert supervision:
  • Disease cannot be treated but only maintained or effects reduced

Last updated date

This page was last updated on 2/04/2019.
This page provides information for Degenerative Nerve Diseases.
Alzheimer's Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
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Genetic Brain Disorders
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Peripheral Neuropathy
Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
Rett Syndrome

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