Brain & Neurology

A stroke happens when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off — either by a clot (ischaemic stroke, ~85%) or by a bleed (haemorrhagic stroke). Brain tissue starts dying within minutes.

Migraine is a neurological condition with recurring episodes of moderate-to-severe headache — often one-sided, throbbing, with nausea and sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. Episodes last 4-72 hours and can be disabling.

Headache is one of the commonest symptoms worldwide. Most headaches are primary — meaning the headache itself is the problem (tension-type, migraine, cluster).

Epilepsy is a brain condition where a person has repeated unprovoked seizures. About 1% of Indians have epilepsy — around 12 million people — making it one of the most common neurological conditions.

Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that disrupt sleep — its quality, timing, amount, or behaviours during sleep. Common disorders are insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, parasomnias (sleep-walking, night terrors), and circadian rhythm disorders (shift-work, jet-lag).

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is when the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing brief pauses in breathing. It's very common — especially in overweight adults and those with thick necks — and substantially raises the risk of high BP, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early — with daytime consequences (tiredness, mood, concentration). Short-term insomnia (days to weeks) usually has a trigger.

Paralysis is partial or complete loss of muscle function. It can affect a specific muscle, one side of the body, both legs, or all four limbs — depending on where the nerve or brain problem is.

A seizure is a sudden surge of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It can cause a wide range of temporary changes — from a brief stare to a full generalised convulsion.

Peripheral nerve disorders (peripheral neuropathy) are diseases of the nerves that run outside the brain and spinal cord. They cause numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, or autonomic problems depending on which nerves are affected.

Stuttering (stammering) is a disorder of speech fluency — repeating sounds (p-p-p-pani), prolonging sounds (sssssat), or blocks (silent struggle before a word). It usually begins in childhood (2-5 years), more often in boys.

Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage from long-standing high blood sugar — the commonest complication of diabetes and the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation in India. Controlling sugar well from the start prevents most diabetic nerve problems; once damage is established, it is partly but not fully reversible.