Nerves are like cables that carry electrical impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. These impulses can help the body feel sensations and move the body’s muscles. Nerves also play a role in maintaining certain important functions, such as breathing, sweating, or digesting food.
Nerve cells, also called neurons, are found throughout the body, especially in the brain and spinal cord. Nerves, along with the brain and spinal cord, are the basis of the nervous system.
Signs of Nerve Cell Damage
Some signs of nerve cell damage to watch out for are:
1. Numbness or Numbness
Damaged nerves are characterized by the emergence of numbness, tingling, or burning sensations that spread around the hands and feet, especially in the fingers. If you feel it repeatedly and for a long period of time, talk to a doctor immediately.
2. Difficulty Moving
Nerve damage can reduce blood flow to certain parts of the body, causing stiffness that makes it difficult to move. This symptom can also signal a serious problem that requires immediate action, such as a stroke.
3. Pain in the legs
This indicates that the sciatic nerve is being compressed or damaged, either due to a fall or fatigue in the spine.
4. Loss of Balance
This indicates that there is nerve damage due to a lack of coordination.
5. Frequent Urination
Nerve damage can also be a signal that the bladder is damaged. As a result, the frequency of urination increases.
6. Frequent Headaches
If you experience headaches that occur repeatedly and for a long time, you may have occipital neuralgia, a condition that can occur due to a pinched nerve in the neck. See a doctor immediately to ensure the condition of the nerves in the brain.
7. Excessive sweating occurs
If you sweat excessively or too little without any clear explanation, this could be a signal that the nerves that carry information from the brain to the sweat glands are being disturbed.
8. Slow Brain Response
Sensory nerves are supposed to tell the brain if there are dangerous and threatening things. But in this case, the sensory nerves are not functioning as they should.
How to Maintain Nerve Health
Some ways to maintain nerve health are:
- Talk to a doctor. Especially if you feel any disturbance in your nerves. This aims to find out the cause and determine the right treatment.
- Over-the-counter medications for nerve pain. There are several types of over-the-counter pain relievers available on the market. They are often used as the first line of treatment to reduce or stop nerve pain. Some of these pain relievers come in the form of creams, gels, ointments, oils, or sprays that are applied to the skin over the area of pain.
- Natural remedies for nerve pain. Some people with nerve pain try other treatments, such as complementary or natural treatments. For example, acupuncture can help relieve nerve pain. Some people also take dietary supplements (such as vitamin B-12). However, you should talk to your doctor to determine the right treatment for you.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Among them are exercising regularly (at least 10-30 minutes a day), eating a balanced nutritious diet, and maintaining weight. This method can increase the chances of controlling pain further. In addition, avoid smoking and alcohol use. You also need to manage stress to avoid impulsive behavior that can interfere with health. Also make sure to get enough sleep, drink enough water, and exercise regularly.
Anatomy of the Nerve
The human body has many nerves, starting in the spinal cord and ending in the brain. They are spread throughout the body, including in the:
- Arm, namely the ulnar nerve, middle nerve, radial nerve, and axillary nerve.
- Chest and abdomen, namely the vagus nerve and the phrenic nerve.
- Face, namely the facial nerve, trigeminal nerve, and optic nerve.
- Legs, namely the sciatic nerve, femoral nerve, tibial nerve, obturator nerve, and sural nerve.
- Pelvis, which is the pudendal nerve.
Meanwhile, the nervous system consists of two divisions, namely:
- The central nervous system, as the body’s integration and command center.
- Peripheral nerves, which represent the channel between the central nervous system and the body. The peripheral nervous system is further divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
Furthermore, the nervous structure consists of:
- Axons, cable-like clusters of fibers in the central nervous system.
- Dendrites, nerve branches that carry electrical impulses.
- Endoneurium, the layer of connective tissue that surrounds the axon.
- Perineurium, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds groups of axons called fascicles.
- Epineurium, a layer of connective tissue that covers the outer surface of nerves.
In the brain, there are cells called oligodendrocytes that surround axons. Meanwhile, outside the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), cells called Schwann cells surround axons.
Both oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells contain a fatty tissue called myelin. Myelin surrounds axons in a sheath. The myelin sheath is like the insulation around an electrical cable. If it is damaged, the nerves cannot transmit electrical signals as quickly. Sometimes, they stop sending electrical signals altogether.
Diseases That Attack the Nerves
Several conditions can affect the nerves so that the body’s signaling process can be disrupted. Here are diseases that can attack the nerves, which need to be watched out for:
1. Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of irreversible dementia. It is characterized by memory loss, decreased intelligence, irrational thinking, and a gradual decline in social skills.
This condition can affect cells and chemicals in the brain, impairing memory, impairing thinking, and causing gradual changes in behavior. People with Alzheimer’s require long-term care and support.
2. Bell’s palsy
This is a condition that causes sudden paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. Bell’s palsy is caused by inflammation or damage to the facial nerve.
Generally, this condition is temporary, because in most cases, sufferers begin to improve within 2 weeks and fully recover within 3 to 6 months. However, in rare cases, weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles cannot be fully recovered.
3. Cerebral palsy
It is a condition that affects body movement due to brain injury. Cerebral palsy can occur before, during, or after birth, but it does not get worse over time.
The damage caused by cerebral palsy affects movement and posture. The condition is characterized by floppy or stiff muscles or involuntary muscle movements. It affects movement, coordination, muscle tone, posture, vision, hearing, speech, eating, and learning.
4. Epilepsy
The next neurological disease is epilepsy. This is a long-term brain condition that causes sufferers to experience repeated seizures. However, epilepsy is not a single disease. There are various conditions that can cause seizures.
5. Motor neuron disease
This disease affects nerves known as motor nerves and motor neurons. In this condition, neurons can degenerate and die. Thus, motor neuron disease can cause muscles to weaken, which eventually leads to paralysis.
Motor neuron conditions are the name for a group of diseases, which include:
- Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- Progressive muscle atrophy.
- Progressive bulbar paralysis.
- Sklerosis lateral primer.
- Kennedy’s disease.
6. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. When this condition occurs, it means that there is damage to the protective sheath (mylin) that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. This damage causes scars or lesions in the nervous system. This means that the nerves cannot send signals throughout the body properly.
7. Neurofibromatosis
This is a genetic condition characterized by the growth of neurofibromas. This disease is a type of tumor that is non-cancerous (benign), although in rare cases it can become cancerous. Neurofibromas can form anywhere there are nerve cells in the body.
8. Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system. This condition occurs due to damage to nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that is very important for controlling smoothness and muscle movement.
9. Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that can cause pain in the back and legs. It occurs when pain travels along the sciatic nerve. The nerve runs from the lower spine and through the hips and buttocks, and down the back of the leg to the foot.