Title: By: Emily Millet
1Nerve Damage and Neurodegeneration
- By Emily Millet
- And Olivia Hitt
2What is Nerve Damage?
- Nerve damage is also called neuropathy it is when
the nerves of your body die. It may affect the
peripheral nerves or autonomic nerves. It can
affect either one or multiple nerves at one time.
There are three types of nerves in your body
autonomic nerves, sensory nerves, and motor
nerves. The nervous system controls everything
your body does and if the nerves begin to be
damaged, you cant replace them. That is the
reason why nerve damage is so difficult to deal
with.
3WHATCAUSESNERVEDAMAGE?
Cancer Cancerous masses can push up against
nerves and crush them. Some cancers could also
cause nutritional deficiency, and treatments for
cancer such as radiation and chemotherapy can
also cause nerve damage.
Autoimmune diseases There are quite a few
autoimmune diseases that can cause nerve damage
such as multiple sclerosis, Guillain Barre
Syndrome, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Traumas Some of these traumas can include a
pinched nerve in the neck, carpel tunnel
syndrome, and injuries from being crushed.
Diabetes As much as 50 of all diabetics have
nerve damage- This can worsen as the disease
progresses. This is a serious problem and can
affect all types of nerves.
Infectious Disease Some infectious diseases can
cause nerve damage such as Lyme disease,
Hepatitis C, HIV, and the herpes virus.
4Diagnosis and Treatment of Nerve Damage
- Diagnosis
- Nerve damage can be diagnosed through physical
exam, ultrasound, or MRI. - Treatment
- - Some treatments could include injections of
steroids and anesthesia such as lidocane into the
affected area can provide temporary relief. Nerve
and tendon surgery have helped other people. The
best treatment is to discuss with your doctor
what your options are and if they are surgically
correctable or not.
5Neurodegeneration
- Neurodegeneration is the breaking down of neurons
within the human body. As the neurons begin to
lose structure and function, this causes the
nerve cells to die. (Also called apoptosis.)
Many scientists say the cause behind
Neurodegeneration is the death of nerve cells and
also, misalignment of proteins within the brain.
6Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's disease is not only the death of
neurons, but the degeneration of other segments
of the brain including the frontal lobe, parietal
lobe, and the frontal cortex. It is the most
common type of dementia. It is most often
diagnosed in elderly people over the age of 65.
This is a serious and devastating disease to have
but with the right resources and early detection,
you can slow its affects on a person. - Progression through the three stages
- Stage One Mild- This stage is often overlooked
at first, because it is associated with all of
the common signs of aging and it can take quite a
while for a caretaker to notice when all the
while the person with this disease is having
trouble making sense of everything around them. - Stage Two Moderate- In this stage, the disease
begins to affect the areas of the brain that
controls reasoning, speech and language, sight,
and thought. Most people often experience
difficulty performing tasks that were once second
nature such as bathing and restroom habits. - Stage Three Severe- This is the most advanced
and last stage of Alzheimer's. At this stage,
brain and nerve damage is extensive. By this
stage, most victims have trouble walking,
recognizing familiar and family faces, they
refuse to eat, and they typically have trouble
completing activities necessary to daily living.
At this stage, full-time care is typically a must.
7Parkinson's Disease
- Parkinson's disease affects the nervous system of
the human body. It can limit a persons ability to
control muscle movements. It is caused by a slow
and gradual loss of certain cell in the brain
which make chemical dopamine, a chemical needed
to make you muscles function properly. - As a result of this disease, some people have
trouble walking and experience uncontrollable
shaking of the arms, legs, and hands. - Once the disease has progressed to the most
serious step, the person must walk in a style
called shuffling gait which is small steps and
slow movement.
8Factors affecting Parkinson's
- Although scientists are not sure what causes
Parkinson's disease, they think genetics may be a
factor and environmental toxins may also be a
contributor to this terrible disease. - As many as 1,000,000 people in the United States
alone are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each
year. Parkinson's is more common in patients over
the age of 60. Medical treatments can relieve the
symptoms of Parkinson's disease while scientist
continue to search for a cure.
9Stages of Parkinson's Disease
- Stage 1- Tremors begin on one side of the body.
- Stage 2- Tremors begin to occur on both side of
the body. - Stage 3- First signs in loss of balance occur,
person is still independent. - Stage 4- Person may begin to need help with
daily activities, at this stage they are unable
to live alone. - Stage 5- The person is confined to a bed or
wheelchair unless assisted.
10Huntington's Disease
- Huntingtons disease is a incurable
neurodegenerative disorder that controls the
muscle within the body. This is caused by a
mutation on the fourth chromosome and if a
parents of a child possesses that trait for the
disease, there is a 50 chance that the child
will contract the disease. - Huntington's disease creates a misfolded protein
that affects the way nerves in the brain
communicate with one another. - This disease is not fatal, but if you fall victim
to other illnesses such as cardiovascular disease
,pneumonia or injury from a fall, you are given a
life span of approximately 20 years from the date
of diagnosis.
11Life With Huntington's Disease
- Just like these other neurodegenerative diseases,
the later stages of these obstacles in life often
require more care than earlier on because at this
point the person is unable to care for themselves
mentally or physically. - The two ways to diagnose Huntingtons disease are
to notice the symptoms and consult with your
doctor, or be tested for the disease if your
family has a history of it. Huntingtons disease
is a dominant gene and people who have it in
their family blood lines are usually eager to be
tested to see if fate played in their favor.
12Bibliography
- www.efacts.com/_nerve_damage_facts
- www.hamenda.com
- www.sciencedaily.com/.../11/091115134134.htm
- http//www.gs.washington.edu/labs/pallanck/researc
h/neuro.htm