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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an injury or trauma to the head causes damage to the brain. TBI may cause a loss of consciousness, headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, behavioral changes, memory problems and more. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and may eventually lead to permanent disability or death.

If you experience symptoms of traumatic brain injury, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. Significant brain damage often cannot be reversed and needs to be treated as soon as possible in order to prevent further damage. TBI is treated by stabilizing the patient and making sure enough oxygen is supplied to the brain and the rest of the body. Later treatment includes physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as psychological and social support. A TBI often causes tragic changes to a person’s life and can affect their friends and family as well.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system which can gradually affect a patient’s vision, speech, walking, writing and memory. This condition involves a wearing away of the myelin sheath, the protective covering of the nerves, which causes nerve signals to slow and the nerves themselves to become damaged. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is most commonly diagnosed in women and men between the ages of 20 and 50.

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary depending on which nerves are affected, but common symptoms include:

• Numbness or weakness in the limbs
• Loss of vision
• Double or blurred vision
• Tingling
• Tremor
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Depression

At Sharlin Health & Neurology our treatment for MS is a delicate balance of major lifestyle shifts and patient-specific medications which we closely monitor. Medications commonly used for treating MS include corticosteroids, interferon, glatiramer and natalizumab. Our in-house physical therapy can also help patients manage the side effects of multiple sclerosis.

Since MS is a debilitating disease, it is important for patients to do their best to maintain an active, normal life and keep themselves as healthy as possible, both physically and emotionally. Support from friends and family can also be helpful to living a happy and healthy life.

A headache is a common symptom that involves aching or pain in one or more areas of the head or face. Over 45 million people are affected by headaches each year and many of these cases include chronic headaches that last for weeks or months with no relief.

Headaches can be associated with a wide range of conditions and causes, including coughing, sneezing, fever, arthritis, depression, or even environmental changes. There are many different types of headaches, classified by the cause, location and severity of the pain. The most common types of headaches include:

• Tension headaches – Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and are often caused by stress, anxiety and depression in middle to older aged people.
• Cluster headaches – Cluster headaches last for a period of weeks or months and then go away for a while. They often return during the same season in the following year.
• Migraines – Migraines cause throbbing pain often on one side of the head and are often so severe that they can lead to nausea, vomiting, depression and sleep disruption.

At Sharlin Health & Neurology we have had great results treating the root-cause of headaches and chronic migraines by relieving stress and anxiety and other life changes can also help reduce the root-symptoms of headaches. At Sharlin Health we are not a prescription-first medical practice.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to send abnormal signals that result in strange body behaviors. These behaviors, known as seizures, can range in frequency, type and severity for each individual patient. Some of the indicators associated with seizures are loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, convulsions and more.

Epileptic seizures are unprovoked and have occurred at least twice in order to properly diagnose the condition. Epilepsy is a chronic condition with no cure. However, most cases can be effectively managed through medication and surgery if necessary. It is important to begin treatment as soon as possible and take medication as directed in order to minimize the frequency of symptoms. Some patients experience complete relief from their symptoms over time.

At Sharlin Health and Neurology we monitor DBS after it has been implanted. So what is Deep brain stimulation? DBS is a surgical procedure used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease for patients who do not respond to medication. This treatment option inactivates the parts of the brain that trigger the disease without destroying nearby brain tissue.

During the DBS procedure, a small device called a neurostimulator is implanted under the skin of the chest. This battery-operated device is similar to a pacemaker for the heart and is designed to deliver electrical stimulation to the areas of the brain that control movement in order to prevent tremors and other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The device is connected to electrodes that are placed in the brain in order to directly deliver the electrical signals.

The areas in the brain where electrodes are to be placed are targeted before the procedure with the use of MRI or CT scanning. For most patients, the electrodes will be placed on the thalamus, subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus.

After the DBS procedure has been performed, most patients experience significant symptom relief, but may still need to take medication to treat the disease, although dosage can be reduced. Dosage reduction also helps reduce the occurrence of side effects and can lead to an overall higher quality of life for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Skin biopsy is a safe, minimally invasive, painless and cheap tool for providing diagnostic information on small nerve fibers, which are invisible to routine neurophysiological tests. Skin biopsy is proving to be a reliable diagnostic tool in patients complaining of symptoms consistent with small-fiber neuropathy, a condition that has been underdiagnosed in the past.