The nervous system is one of the most unique and complicated aspects of the human body. The nerves accept communications from neurons throughout the body, and these signals are transmitted to the brain to be processed and understood. The messages from nerves move at incredible speeds, which is how the body is able to function so quickly to outside stimuli.
If the nervous system gets compromised, then communication within the body is compromised. The brain doesn’t receive the right information and the instructions going from the brain to the body are incomplete or incorrect. This can result in the body breaking down in a variety of ways and performing incorrectly. Good nervous system health will benefit the body in a wide variety of ways.
Nervous System Responsibilities
The nervous system is responsible for so many different actions throughout the body. The central nervous system is the brain and the spinal cord. The information taken in from the rest of the body is evaluated and turned into actions. If a nerve is suggesting that a toe was just stubbed against a wall, the brain is telling the mouth to say “oww” and tells your foot to move away. Obviously, brain function is crucial. Nervous system and the brain can be responsible for heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, consciousness, memory and so much more.
Breaking it down easily, the responsibilities of the nervous system are threefold. It needs to collect information on the outside environment through the body’s senses. From there, it needs to process that information. The third action is that it needs to create a bodily response to that information.
Common Nervous System Problems
There’s certainly a wide variety of conditions that can affect a person’s nervous system. Some may seem minor, but most are very serious. Some of them include:
- Parkinson’s Disease - This is a degenerative condition that affects a person’s movement and may result in constant tremors.
- Multiple Sclerosis - The immune system will attack the coating around nerve fibers and damage them to the point that they no longer function.
- Strokes - A stroke occurs when the body suddenly does not have as much blood as needed in the brain. Typically artery blockages cause strokes.
- TIAs (Transient Ischemic Attacks) - These are very commonly called mini strokes. They can go unnoticed, but cause small amounts of damage over time.
- Subdural Hematomas - This is a situation when the body has suffered head injuries and blood ends up pooling.
- Polio - Polio is a dangerous and life threatening disease that has almost been wiped out thanks to vaccines. However, if someone can get it, then the nervous system can be badly damaged.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - This is a syndrome where nerves in the hand and wrist can be damaged, resulting in uncomfortable pain and bending in the fingers of the hand.
- Bell’s Palsy - This problem causes the facial muscles to be weak suddenly. Typically one side of the face droops, while the other remains fine.
Signs to Look Out For
There are of course many different disorders of the nervous system, so it’s hard to pinpoint a single danger sign. There are actually quite a few signs that a person may be struggling with a nervous system disorder. Some people really may not have any idea that something has gone wrong. Some of the common signs to look out for include:
- Suffering from persistent or chronic headaches
- Tingling feelings or losing feeling in a part of the body
- Suffering from memory loss
- Having double vision or losing sight
- Feeling unexpectedly weak or losing muscle strength
- Feeling mental capacity has weakened
- Trouble with coordination
- Slurred speech
- Suffering from seizures or tremors
- Pain that spreads out from the back
It’s important to note that these are only some of the signs of the many different nervous disorders out there.