Neurology

A stroke interrupts brain blood supply or involves bleeding; a TIA causes temporary stroke-like symptoms. Sudden weakness, speech or vision changes require emergency care even if they resolve.

Epilepsy involves a tendency to recurrent unprovoked seizures. Seizures can alter awareness or sensation without obvious shaking, and not every isolated seizure establishes epilepsy.

Migraine often causes recurring headache with nausea or light sensitivity. A sudden exceptionally severe headache or headache with new neurological symptoms needs urgent assessment.

Parkinson's disease affects movement, often causing slowness, stiffness and tremor. Sleep, mood and other non-motor symptoms may also occur.

Peripheral neuropathy damages nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Numbness, burning, weakness or impaired balance can result from diabetes and many other causes.

Multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating disorders damage nerve insulation in the central nervous system. Symptoms may involve vision, sensation, strength or coordination.

Dementia is a decline in cognition that interferes with independent daily function. Memory changes also have other causes, including depression, medicines and reversible medical problems.

Neurological vertigo may arise from brain or nerve pathways controlling balance. Vertigo with new weakness, double vision or difficulty speaking needs urgent review.

Myasthenia gravis causes fatigable muscle weakness through impaired nerve-to-muscle signalling. Drooping eyelids, double vision and swallowing difficulties can occur; breathing weakness is an emergency.

Muscular dystrophies are inherited disorders causing progressive muscle weakness. The muscles affected and possible heart or breathing involvement vary by subtype.

Facial nerve palsy weakens muscles on one side of the face. The cause needs assessment, and inability to close the eye can expose the cornea to injury.

Neurological sleep disorders can involve abnormal movements, behaviour or excessive sleepiness. Events during sleep need distinction from seizures and other sleep conditions.