Shingles Also Attacks The Nervous System

Today's post from health.clevelandclinic.org/ (see link below) talks about shingles, a form of neuropathy that is often not thought of as being nerve damage but if you've ever had an attack, you'll be pretty sure it is. It's cause by the virus varicella-zoster, which is a herpes virus and just like herpes, it will lie low for some time and then strike when your system is also at a low ebb. Most people who suffer from shingles have also had chicken pox at some time in their lives and that's one way the virus enters the body because chicken pox is also caused by varicella-zoster. For people already living with other conditions, including neuropathy, shingles can be doubly painful (and doubly depressing). Fortunately, there is a vaccine available but it won't remove shingles, it will just lessen the impact. For the full story see below.

Ever Have Chickenpox? Then You’re at Risk for Shingles. How to minimize your chances of getting this painful rash
December 14, 2016 / By Family Health Team

When you were a kid, did you scratch your way through a case of chickenpox? If so, you met the virus that causes shingles.

Called varicella-zoster, it didn’t leave after your chickenpox faded. Instead, the virus laid low in your nervous system.

For one in three adults, the zoster virus re-emerges decades later as shingles. Each year, about 1 million Americans develop the painful rash. Those over 60 are especially at risk.

“Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles at some time in their life,” says Daniel Allan, MD.

How shingles develops

Sometimes a headache, nausea, fever or chills will herald shingles’ arrival. And the area the rash will be targeting can become painful, numb or tingly a few days in advance. Once the rash hits, blisters form, along with pain described as stabbing, shooting or burning.

“The initial rash is often confused with insect bites,” says Dr. Allan. ““The pain can show up before the rash, continue through the rash and most importantly, it can continue after the rash has healed up.”

The shingles rash typically appears as a band stretching across one side of the trunk. It can develop elsewhere, however. If the rash goes near the eye, immediate care is needed to avoid eye damage.

The shingles rash often lasts for a couple of weeks

Antiviral medication will shorten the duration and pain of shingles if given right away. “Generally, we recommend that patients see their doctor within two to three days of onset. That’s when the prescribed medications are more effective,” says Dr. Allan.

It’s important to keep an oozing rash covered. You can’t spread shingles itself. But you can spread the virus, which can cause chickenpox in those who haven’t had chickenpox or haven’t been vaccinated against it.

“Anyone with active shingles should also avoid pregnant women because of risk to the fetus,” he adds. “Once all the lesions have scabbed or crusted over, you’re no longer contagious.” 

Shingles can strike at any time

Unlike chickenpox, shingles can recur — though not always in the same spot.

Shingles can and does develop in younger people. But it is riskier for older people, who are more likely to develop chronic pain from nerve damage (post-herpetic neuralgia), and for those with autoimmune diseases, because getting shingles increases their risk of stroke.

“There is a shingles vaccine recommended for adults 60 and older,” says Dr. Allan. “This vaccine is extremely useful for reducing your chances of getting shingles, although it won’t eliminate them. Even more importantly, it drastically cuts the risk of developing post-herpetic neuralgia.”

Many patients with post-herpetic neuralgia require treatment with pain relievers, nerve blocks or implanted nerve stimulators to relieve pain.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2016/12/ever-have-chickenpox-then-youre-at-risk-for-shingles/

Acid Reflux Drugs Can Play Havoc With Your Nervous System

Today's post from naidw.org (see link below) looks once again at a subject that crops up quite frequently on the neuropathy message boards and that's the negative influence of commonly-used, acid-reflux drugs including:
Rabeprazole (Aciphex) Esomeprazole (Nexium) Lansoprazole  Prevacid)
Omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid) Pantoprazole (Protonix) exlansoprazole (Dexilant) on our nervous systems. It becomes especially relevant if you've been prescribed these drugs to protect your stomach from excessive acid production by other drugs, for other conditions (HIV combinations are a good example). It's surprising how many people are also prescribed these drugs and end up staying on them for years, long after the original need has passed. The consequences can be very serious indeed! Apart from the potential damage to your nervous system; if your stomach's natural acid production is suppressed, it means that certain drugs will never be allowed to work because the acid needed to break them down, is terminally suppressed by the acid-reflux medication. Reading this article will provide you with all the information you need and should help you decide if you need to have a serious discussion with your doctor or not. The less acid-reflux drugs, the better - certainly for your neuropathy problems.

Acid Reflux Drugs May Cause Dementia and Neuropathy
Thursday, 18 February 2016

Has your memory been slipping lately? Have you experienced unexplained pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in your arms of legs? Have you also been taking an acid reflux drug like Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec for a couple years? If so, then you may be the latest victim of the pharmaceutical industry’s medical model of healthcare.

After that first paragraph, you may have expected to see an attorney’s phone number to call and join a class action lawsuit! Well, I am sure that it won’t be long before that actually happens. New research, published Monday in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed that certain acid reflux drugs are “significantly associated” with vitamin B12 deficiency. In turn, vitamin B12 deficiency causes serious health consequences including anemia, osteoporosis, depression, memory loss, dementia, neuropathy and cardiovascular disease.

If you have acid reflux, you need to understand what is causing it. Find the cause and correct the cause. Simply popping pills to block the natural production of stomach acid has proven to only cause even more serious health conditions. Read on to learn how to restore your health without these dangerous drugs!

Acid Reflux Drugs Linked to Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Acid reflux drugs, like Nexium, have long been known to cause some very serious side effects. Among them are problems such as anemia, heart problems, hypertension, osteoporosis and further digestive problems including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In fact, drugs used to treat acid reflux do not treat the condition itself but only the symptoms. They are not designed to correct the cause of the problem. As a result, the problem continues to worsen over the years. Drug treatment is continued and the drug side effects continue to worsen as well.

This new research(1) sheds further light on this problem. It showed that people taking certain acid reflux drugs are far more likely to suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. The study implicated proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec – and histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) – Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac. Proton pump inhibitors proved to be the worst.

Unfortunately, the study’s senior author, Dr. Douglas Corley, stated(2) that patient’s should not stop taking the drugs but should get their B12 levels checked. If your levels are deficient, then presumably, you should treat that as another symptom as well. All the while, the underlying causes are left unaddressed. Vitamin B12 deficiency cannot be corrected unless the cause of the deficiency is addressed. In this case, the cause may be your acid reflux pill.

Left uncorrected, this leads to fatigue, anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, increased risk of bone fracture, hypertension, dementia, depression and neuropathy. It is dangerous, costly, and simply ridiculous to continue treating symptoms of any condition rather than addressing the cause. Wouldn’t it be much better to find what is causing the acid reflux and correct the cause? 

Why Do You Have Stomach Acid?

Stomach acid has been unjustly vilified as the cause of acid reflux and GERD. In a similar fashion,cholesterol was incorrectly pegged as the cause of deadly heart disease. Just as pharmaceutically lowering cholesterol increases the heart attack death rate, blocking stomach acid with drugs only makes the problem of reflux and GERD even worse!

You have acid in your stomach for a reason. The cells that line your stomach produce it. In fact, your stomach is specifically designed with a layer of cells that protect it from the otherwise damaging effects of the acid. This stomach acid is required by your body for:


proper digestion of food, especially carbohydrates


Absorption of nutrients (such as vitamin B12)


Killing harmful bacteria and limiting bacterial overgrowth

Without this acid in your stomach, you cannot properly digest carbohydrates or effectively absorb certain nutrients. Blocking this acid production also allows for overgrowth of bacteria and opens the door for H. pylori infections. Simply having the stomach acid is not the problem. In fact, most people suffering from acid reflux actually have too little stomach acid rather than too much.
What Causes Acid Reflux and GERD?

The problem is when the acid leaks (refluxes) into the esophagus. Your esophagus does not have the protective lining that your stomach has. When stomach acid gets into the esophagus, the burning pain of acid reflux results.

Your body has a very strong valve – called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) – between the stomach and esophagus that is designed to prevent the reflux of acid. The cause of the acid reflux is adysfunctioning LES muscle which allows the acid to reflux into the esophagus.

It is not a problem of having too much acid. Again, most cases of acid reflux actually occur with low levels of stomach acid. The acid is just in the wrong place. Lowering acid levels or blocking its production does not fix the problem with the LES. As a result, the acid reflux continues and you are prescribed acid blocking drugs for the rest of your life.

So, the real question is what is causing the dysfunction with the LES muscle and how can your correct this cause of acid reflux?

Correcting the Cause of Acid Reflux

Your Nerve System and Chiropractic Care. The LES is an autonomic muscle. That means that it is automatically controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Stress on the nerves that control this muscle can cause it to malfunction. Additionally, production and secretion of stomach acid is controlled by your nerve system. Ensuring proper nerve system function is the first step to healing acid reflux and GERD naturally. Chiropractic physicians are trained to find and correct nerve interference such as this. As a result, many people experience significant relief simply from including regular chiropractic care in their wellness lifestyle.


Eliminating Drug Effects. It is also important to consider other prescription drugs that you are taking that may be causing the problem. Common culprits include steroid drugs, NSAIDs (such as Advil and Aleve), and aspirin. These drugs are commonly prescribed for various pain syndromes. However, there are many natural, safe, and more effective methods for correcting these conditions as well.


Excessive Carbohydrates. Consuming excessive carbohydrates – especially simple carbs like sugars, breads, pastas, pastries, etc. – create an inflammatory environment in your body. This can prevent normal production of stomach acid and allow bacterial overgrowth. This leads to gas production and increased intra-abdominal pressure. As a result the LES muscle becomes inhibited and acid reflux occurs. Simply switching to a low carbohydrate, anti-inflammatory dietnaturally corrects this cause of acid reflux.

Balancing Bacteria. Low stomach acid allows for bacterial overgrowth and disrupts the balance of healthy gut bacteria. Consuming foods rich in probiotics (healthy bacteria), such as raw fermented foods, restores this balance. Taking a probiotic supplement may be necessary as well. Restoring the normal, healthy bacteria in your gut helps to correct many digestive disorders, including acid reflux.

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Using these methods addresses the actual cause of acid reflux and GERD and allows your body to heal itself naturally. While you are healing, you may need to use some natural remedies as well to help with the symptoms. As mentioned earlier, the problem is most often a result of not enough stomach acid production in order to digest food, absorb nutrients and kill harmful bacteria.

Bitter herbs can be used to increase production of stomach acid. These include herbs such as barberry bark, caraway, dandelion, fennel, ginger, goldenseal root, peppermint, and wormwood. They are typically taken in very small doses and made in a tincture of water. Consult an well-trained herbalist for best results.

While you are reconditioning your body to produce the proper amount of stomach acid, you may benefit from natural digestive enzyme supplements as well. Without proper levels of stomach acid, the pH is too high to stimulate the release of these enzymes naturally. These supplements can help provide your body with the support it needs to break down carbohydrates and proteins more effectively.
As with all health conditions, dangerous drugs are not the only option. It may seem easy to simply pop a pill and ignore the problem. However, your body and your long-term health will ultimately suffer the consequences. You can live a radiant and vibrantly healthy life! Simple lifestyle changes make a huge difference in your vitality and they will help you heal acid reflux naturally!

References for this Article:

(1) Proton Pump Inhibitor and Histamine 2 Receptor Antagonist Use and Vitamin B12 Deficiencyhttp://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1788456

(2) Stomach acid drugs may increase vitamin deficiency riskhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/10/us-stomach-acid-drugs-vitamin-d-idUSBRE9B914Y20131210?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

https://naidw.org/blog/members-myblogs/acid-reflux-drugs-may-cause-dementia-and-neuropathy

Ticks Lyme Disease And Nervous Disorders

Today's post from topthings2know.com (see link below) looks at the potential link between fibromyalgia (also a form of neuropathy) and Lyme disease caused by ticks. There are several other articles here on the blog on the subject of Lyme disease and neuropathy (use the Search button) and it's an important topic because it's a cause of nerve damage that is so difficult to prevent or predict. It may seem to be a Summer disease, when the ticks are active but remember it's Summer somewhere in the world at all times! Apart from that, diagnosing Lyme disease and/or any of the associated problems that go with it is a nightmare for doctors - it's so difficult to tie down and variable in its effects. Hopefully you'll notice if you have been bitten in the Summer and the site of the bite will become inflamed and sore, leading to a trip to the doctor - then a possible link can more easily be established. However, many people are bitten without knowing it and Lyme disease symptoms only emerge much later. Worth taking precautions and being extra aware, especially if you make frequent trips into the countryside.

Are Your Fibromyalgia Symptoms Due to Lyme Disease?
December 26, 2015 

Lyme disease is the number one vector borne spreading epidemic worldwide, and mimics common diseases such as Fibromyalgia (FM), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis), autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and MS, as well as psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. The CDC recently released new statistics showing that ten times more individuals have been affected with Lyme than previously suspected. Since the blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease have been shown to be unreliable, we would expect that a certain percentage of those diagnosed with FM are in fact suffering from Lyme disease. This has been my personal experience. In the last 26 years, I have seen over 12,000 chronically ill individuals with Lyme and associated tick-borne disorders, many of whom have been to 10-20 doctors looking for answers for their chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. Lyme and associated tick-borne infections were often one of the underlying causes of their problem.

A diagnosis of FM was previously established using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 classification criteria, where a certain number of specific tender points were required on physical examination. This was recently shown to be an insensitive method for making the diagnosis and has been revised. Newer criteria include diagnostic variables such as the widespread pain index (WPI) associated with cognitive symptoms, unrefreshed sleep, fatigue, and a number of somatic symptoms. Unfortunately, these symptom criteria overlap other illnesses and are not specific. They don’t tell us why someone develops FM.

It is essential in medicine to get to the root cause of symptoms. In addition to an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, which can cause fibromyalgia, we find that patients often have multifactorial causes for their illness. I call this syndrome Lyme-MSIDS. MSIDS stands for Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome, and represents sixteen potential overlapping medical problems contributing to persistent symptoms in my patients.

The first point on the MSIDS map is infections. Ticks are now containing multiple bacterial, viral and parasitic infections which can be transmitted simultaneously with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. Patients infected with Lyme disease and associated co-infections are much sicker and resistant to standard therapies. An example of a viral infection causing FM symptoms is human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6). Nearly 100% of adults today have been exposed, and it can reactivate later in life secondary to immunological and environmental factors. HHV-6 has been linked in the scientific literature as a possible cofactor in ADD, autism spectrum disorder and MS, apart from its links to CFS and Fibromyalgia. It is therefore one of many infections that can cause chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain.

Medicine has long searched for a common etiologic mechanism to explain diseases that share many symptoms in common, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and persistent Lyme disease. Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, Dr. Martin Pall noticed that the above disease states share many symptoms in common. These symptoms include chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pains, memory and concentration problems, mood disorders including depression and anxiety, and an inability to sleep. Back in 2001, he postulated that these illnesses with similar symptoms can all be initiated by a variety of factors, such as viral infections, bacterial infections, physical or emotional trauma, or exposure to environmental toxins, such as volatile organic solvents (VOS), pesticides, etc. These diverse stressors can all increase nitric oxide. Although nitric oxide has been shown to have extremely beneficial effects in the body such as lowering blood pressure and vasodilating the coronary arteries, it also can also have deleterious effects under certain conditions. What are the negative effects of nitric oxide?

When we stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production, we subsequently increase the production of peroxynitrite, which is a byproduct of the NO pathway. This molecule acts as a free radical, and increases oxidative stress, which can damage DNA and proteins inside the cell. It also can stimulate the production of NF-кB, a switch inside our nucleus that turns on the production of inflammatory molecules, such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFNγ (Interferon gamma). These are proteins which may contribute to the symptoms seen in Fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. It is therefore logical that apart from needing to address the underlying factors driving FM symptoms (i.e. treating the viral, bacterial, parasitic, and/or fungal infections, as well as treating overlapping etiologies on the MSIDS map, such as food allergies/sensitivities and mineral deficiencies), our therapy should focus on decreasing the free radical/oxidant byproducts of the nitric oxide biochemical cycle leading to fatigue and chronic pain. This would include a regimen of antioxidants, CoQ10, B vitamins, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), magnesium (Mag++), zinc (Zn++), omega 3 fatty acids, and glutathione precursors such as N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC), and glycine. When I treat the infections and use medicines and nutritional supplements that support detoxification, balance an overstimulated immune system (like LDN, low dose naltrexone), and decrease oxidative stress, the majority of my patients with FM improve.

How do you know if you have Lyme-MSIDS causing Fibromyalgia? Lyme disease is a multisystemic illness and there are certain hallmarks of the disease which differentiate it from other medical disorders. Symptoms tend to come and go with good and bad days. Musculoskeletal pain and neuropathy (tingling, numbness and burning sensations) tend to migrate around the body. Symptoms often improve or worsen with antibiotic therapy (a Jarish-Herxheimer reaction when the Lyme bacteria are being killed), and women often report that symptoms worsen right before, during, or after the menstrual cycle.

Fill out the associated Lyme-MSIDS questionnaire (link is external) (click here (link is external)). If you score 46 or higher on the questionnaire, there is a high probability that you suffer from Lyme disease and associated infections causing your FM (based on studies done in our medical office). Although blood testing lacks sufficient sensitivity to conclusively eliminate Lyme disease as a cause of FM, a Western Blot showing exposure to the 23, 31, 34, 39 and 83-93 kda bands is definitive evidence of exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, and helps to confirm the clinical diagnosis.

There is a commonly held belief in medicine, called Pasteur’s postulate that there is “one cause for one illness”. This does not apply to patients with chronic Lyme symptoms, or those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Once we address infections like Lyme disease and all of the other underlying etiologies on the MSIDS 16 point map, resistant fibromyalgia symptoms often improve.

http://topthings2know.com/are-your-fibromyalgia-symptoms-due-to-lyme-disease/

SARM1 The Lemmings Of The Nervous System That Cause So Much Pain

Today's interesting post from medicalxpress.com (see link below) explains the way that for some reason, axons go into self-destruct mode when there is evidence of neurodegeneration. This is basically what happens when you get neuropathy (nerve damage). As explained clearly here, axons are the electrical wiring of the nervous system and for that reason, comparing neuropathy to short circuiting in a household wiring system, is a pretty good way of illustrating what happens. Scientists have now discovered the molecule responsible for this self-destructive tendency of axons when threatened or disrupted. The problem is how to find a way of blocking this from happening. The molecular villain is called, SARM1 which doesn't tell us ordinary mortals much but gives it a label. Why the body does this is not clear - it seems illogical but at least they've identified the culprit; let's hope they can find a way of stopping it happening without any further consequences for the rest of the nervous system. Worth a read.

Findings suggest ways to block nerve cell damage in neurodegenerative diseases
March 23, 2017 Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Nerve axons (left) serve as the electrical wiring of the nervous system. Scientists have implicated a specific molecule in triggering a self-destruct program in axons that leads to their degeneration (right). Since axonal degeneration is a …more

In many neurodegenerative conditions—Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and peripheral neuropathy among them—an early defect is the loss of axons, the wiring of the nervous system. When axons are lost, nerve cells can't communicate as they should, and nervous system function is impaired. In peripheral neuropathy in particular, and perhaps other diseases, sick axons trigger a self-destruct program.

In new research, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have implicated a specific molecule in the self-destruction of axons. Understanding just how that damage occurs may help researchers find a way to halt it.

The study is published March 22 in the journal Neuron.

"Axons break down in a lot of neurodegenerative diseases," said senior author Jeffrey D. Milbrandt, MD, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Professor and head of the Department of Genetics. "Despite the fact these diseases have different causes, they are all likely rooted in the same pathway that triggers axon degeneration. If we could find a way to block the pathway, it could be beneficial for many different kinds of patients."

Since the molecular pathway that leads to loss of axons appears to do more harm than good, it's not clear what role this self-destruct mechanism plays in normal life. But scientists suspect that if the pathway that destroys axons could be paused or halted, it would slow or prevent the gradual loss of nervous system function and the debilitating symptoms that result. One such condition, peripheral neuropathy, affects about 20 million people in the United States. It often develops following chemotherapy or from nerve damage associated with diabetes, and can cause persistent pain, burning, stinging, itching, numbness and muscle weakness.

"Peripheral neuropathy is by far the most common neurodegenerative disease," said co-author Aaron DiAntonio, MD, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Developmental Biology. "Patients don't die from it, but it has a huge impact on quality of life."

In previous studies, Stefanie Geisler, MD, an assistant professor of neurology, working with DiAntonio and Milbrandt, showed that blocking this axon self-destruction pathway prevented the development of peripheral neuropathy in mice treated with the chemotherapy agent vincristine. The hope is that if methods are developed to block this pathway in people, then it might be possible to slow or prevent the development of neuropathy in patients.

Toward that end, the Milbrandt and DiAntonio labs showed that a molecule called SARM1 is a central player in the self-destruct pathway of axons. In healthy neurons, SARM1 is present but inactive. For reasons that are unclear, injury or disease activate SARM1, which sets off a series of events that drains a key cellular fuel—called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)—and leads to destruction of the axon. Though the researchers previously had shown SARM1 was required for this chain of events to play out, the details of the process were unknown.

SARM1 and similar molecules—those containing what are called TIR domains—most often are studied in the context of immunity, where these domains serve as scaffolds. Essentially, TIR domains provide a haven for the assembly of molecules or proteins to perform their work.

The researchers had assumed that SARM1 acted as a scaffold to provide support for the work of destroying axons, beginning with the rapid loss of cellular fuel that occurs minutes after SARM1 becomes active. The scientists set about searching for the demolition crew—the active molecule or molecules that use the SARM1 scaffold to carry out the demolition. The study's first author, Kow A. Essuman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellow and an MD/PhD student in Milbrandt's lab, performed a litany of cellular and biochemical experiments searching for the demolition crew and came up empty.

"We performed multiple experiments but could not identify molecules that are traditionally known to consume NAD," Essuman said.

But as a last resort, the investigators tested SARM1 itself. To their great surprise, they found it was doing more than simply providing a passive platform. Specifically, the researchers showed SARM1's TIR domain acts as an enzyme, a molecule that carries out biochemical reactions, in this case destroying axons by first burning all their NAD cellular fuel.

"There are more than 1,000 papers describing the function of proteins containing TIR domains," DiAntonio said. "No one had ever shown that this type of molecule could be an enzyme. So we went into our experiments assuming SARM1 was only a scaffold and that there must be some other enzyme responsible for demolition of the axon. We essentially searched for a demolition crew, only to discover that the scaffold itself is destroying the structure. It's the last thing you would expect."

The findings suggest molecules similar to SARM1—those with TIR domains and known to serve as scaffolds in the immune system—may prove to have additional functions that go beyond their structural roles. The research also invites a search for drugs that block the SARM1 enzyme from triggering axonal destruction.


Explore further: Major pathway identified in nerve cell death offers hope for therapies

More information: Kow Essuman et al. The SARM1 Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor Domain Possesses Intrinsic NAD +Cleavage Activity that Promotes Pathological Axonal Degeneration, Neuron (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.022

Journal reference: Neuron

Provided by: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-03-ways-block-nerve-cell-neurodegenerative.html#jCp


https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-03-ways-block-nerve-cell-neurodegenerative.html

The nervous system

The nervous system

NERVOUS SYSTEM – The nervous system

Our technology makes remotes in every aspect and advancement, for example, roaming cell phone, TV, satellite control, etc. But the wired nervous system still remains a mystery to our advanced brains. The brain, spinal cord and nerves seem to be extraordinarily complex and seem to be far beyond our reach till this moment.

Our advanced medicine world is able to perform surgery by shutting brain consciousness, feelings and functions i.e. with the aid of anaesthesia (either local or general). It can alleviate or suppress

the pain / headache with benumbing agents or pain-killer tablets. It can also suppress the neuralgic twitchings and epilepsy with antiepileptic drugs. But, till now the advanced medicine world is not able to enhance nerve functions or memory. For example – in case of paralysis, memory loss, retinal damage, auditory nerve damage, etc., our technology is insufficient. The nervous system needs more and more research to achieve transplantation as in other systems, for example – kidney transplant, heart valve transplant, etc. So, if Nature could be explored more scientifically for advancement of the nervous system, disabilities like even blindness, deafness and dumbness can be rooted out.

The nervous system, i.e. the informative technology (wired connections) of our body, is very much essential for our living, survival and communication. With electrical impulses, they communicate, interact, interpret, coordinate and function efficiently, in a very fast manner – in a fraction of second. They can conduct messages at a rate of more than 20 km per minute. This speed makes its functions invaluable, for example – Nerves involved in blinking. The act of blinking takes care for washing the eye and also some times protects the eye from dust or injury even without our knowledge or control. This action comes as an automatic reflex action for body protection. Nerves work for our breathing, digestion, etc., even during sleep. Also, without nerves one will be paralysed, comatose, lose bladder control, stool control, etc., making living difficult.

Nervous problems – In recent days, our mental and physical stress and strain, additive habits,

sleeplessness, etc., has been causing more neurological problems. Nervous problem can occur due to various reasons, i.e. infection, inflammation, disease, damage, compresion, toxicity of drugs, etc. The common nervous complaints are neuritis, cramp, headache, polio, paralysis, herpes, ganglion, injuries, paresis, weakness, epilepsy, Parkinson’s diseases, etc. It often produces complaints like numbness, loss of sensation, paresis, paralysis, burning pain, shooting/lightning pain, referred pain, radiating pain, blindness, hearing loss, loss of speech, loss of facial expressions, etc. To understand nervous problems and the way of soothing it, one needs to know about the nervous system.

Nervous system – The nervous system cares for and controls the whole body. That’s why, the nervous system is given very much importance by Nature and it seems to be the most cared-for and protected part of the body. The brain, weighing less than 1.5 kg of a 65 kg adult human, has been given a safe vault – the skull has protective covering. Likewise, the spinal cord, weighing less than 50 gm, is given vertebral column/bones for its protection.

The nervous system consists of central nervous system and peripheral nerves. Brain, the boss, cares for our mind, memory, learning, emotions, feelings, thought, perceptions, reasoning, speech, hearing, smell, etc. In correlation with the peripheral nervous system (cranial and spinal nerves) it accesses and implements sensation, movements, coordination of functions, breathing, blood pressure, heart functions, appetite, thirst, digestion, temperature, etc. Billions and billions of nerve cells are engaged in maintenance functions of our body.

Neuron – The basic fundamental unit of the nervous system is the neuron. The neuron is a specialised cell that consists of cell body with nucleus, dendrite(s) and an axon. The axons are stems conducting/carrying impulses to the adjacent neuron. They are insulated with myelin sheath (made of lipids) for fast transmission of impulses without any leakage. The junction between two neurons is called as synapse. It acts as a filter or as an amplifier.

Central nervous system – The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. The richness of connections here accounts for human intellect and talents.

• Brain – is the main switch of wired network of our body. This super computer (brain) has uniqueness of mind and memory. It can receive impulses, interpret impulses, generate impulses, coordinate impulses and send impulses for actions.
• Spinal cord – is otherwise called the tail of the brain. It descends from the base of brain through an opening in the base of the skull into the vertebral column. It connects the brain and body through spinal nerves.

Peripheral nervous system – consists of all the nerves that are emerging from the brain and spinal cord.

• Cranial nerves – emerges from the base of the brain or brain stem supplies and cares exclusively for the head with sensations and functions. They are 12 in numbers and named after their functions. They are olfactory, optic, oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial, auditory, glossopharyngeal, vagus, spinal accessory and hypoglossal nerve.
• Spinal nerves – emerges from the spinal cord to supply body and peripherals. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves named after their emerging vertebral bones. They are cervical nerves (8 no/s), thoracic nerves (12 no/s), lumbar nerves (5 no/s), sacral nerves (5 no/s) and coccyx nerve (1 no).

The peripheral nervous system can be classified further anatomically and functionally.

Anatomical classification

• Sensory nerves (Afferent nerves) – which carries impulses to brain from peripherals
• Motor nerves (Efferent nerves) – which carries impulses from brain to peripherals

Functional classification

• Somatic nervous system – that works voluntarily with our control and consciousness for example – movement of hands/legs
• Autonomic nervous system – that works involuntarily/automatically without consciousness or control. Mostly these nerves inervates internal visceras / organs and helps in breathing, heart functions, digestion, etc. The autonomic nervous system is sub-classified as
  • Sympathetic nerves – These nerves work for activating and accelerating functions. I.e. they function for vasoconstriction, dilating lungs, increasing heart rate with good strong contractions, dilating eye pupils, etc.
  • Parasympathetic nerves – These nerves work for controlling and suppressing functions. They function for vasodilatation, constriction of lungs, reducing heart rate, constricting eye pupils, stimulating saliva secretion, assisting digestion with peristalsis, erectile function of penis, etc.

The sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves have nearly opposite actions. With the control and coordination of brain and spinal cord, they finally produce a full-controlled, coordinated movement or action or functions.

Diagnostic techniques – Nerve functions and diseases are usually analysed with weakness, coordination of movement(s), reflexes, muscle thickness/wasting, spasticity, alteration in sensations, etc. Doctors usually go for elicitation of reflexes, nerve conduction tests and electromyography (EMG) to diagnose the complaint and then plan the treatment. The other common tests required to detect, manage and treat neurological complaints are:

• Routine blood tests and urine tests
• X-ray chest and skull (in AP view and lateral view)
• CT/MRI scan
• Electroencephalography (EEG)
• Analysing cerebrospinal fluid with spinal puncture
• Angiogram, biopsy, etc. as required depending upon the suspected diagnosis of disease

for new hope

Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)

Laxmi Homeo Clinic

24 E. New Mahalipatti Road

Madurai, TN 625 001

India

Tel:  +91-452-233-8833 | +91-984-319-1011 (Mob)

Fax: +91-452-233-0196

E-mail:  drcheena@yahoo.com

www.drcheena.com  / www.drcheena.in

(Disclaimer - The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)