Oct 6, 2020
What causes the brain to degenerate? – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor
Imagine returning from work and being unable to remember your wife’s name. You wonder how many kids you have, and your dog looks so strange in your eyes. Sounds strange right? Yea, that’s what could happen when your brain begins to degenerate.
What is Neurodegeneration?
The word “neurodegenerative” is derived from two words “neuro”- brain, and “degenerative,”- breaking down. So, neurodegeneration is the progressive breakdown (both structure and function) of neurons present in the brain.
Basically, the brain is made up of about 86 million nerve cells, and these nerves connect with the brain in more than a trillion connections throughout the body. These connections make you who you are, and it determines functions like, remembering things you read, thinking about your family plans, moving around, and many more.
So, when there is a miscommunication between brain cells, it could cause the brain to degenerate which can lead to losing intellectual function as their brain gradually deteriorates, and the effect is evident in memory, speech, and spatial skills.
Like the example given above, when your home starts to feel like someone else’s place, it could be a sign of degenerative brain disease. The bad part is that this disease worsens over time as the neurons in the brain die.
Some common examples of neurodegenerative diseases that affect different parts of the brain include:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Lewy body disease
Parkinson’s disease causes impairment in movement. Alzheimer’s disease gradually causes memory loss in victims. Huntington’s disease deprives a sufferer of the ability to talk, walk, reason, and think, and this starts as early as in their mid-30s. Frontotemporal dementia leads to bewildering changes in a person’s behavior and thoughts.
In all of these diseases, the symptoms may start and last for as long as ten or twenty years until death. And many sufferers live a life of dependence, especially in their final years.
What causes the brain to degenerate?
Most of the neurodegenerative diseases are genetic, but sometimes, they can be as a result of a medical condition like:
- Stroke
- Alcoholism
- A tumor
Other causes include:
- Chemicals
- Toxins
- viruses
The degenerative brain disease can be life-threatening, depending on the type.
Symptoms of brain degeneration
There are many symptoms of brain degeneration, depending on the type of disease and what part of the brain is affected. However, some common symptoms include:
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Difficulty in moving and swallowing
- Hallucination
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Forgetfulness
- A loss of inhibition
- Anxiety
These symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases tend to become worse as the disease progresses, and there is a chance of new symptoms arising with time.
Treatment of brain degeneration
Most of these diseases do not have a cure. The treatment measures available are targeted to help improve symptoms, increase mobility, and relieve pain.
However, you can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC to get advice on some natural measures to improve the symptoms of degenerative brain disease.