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Declutter your Brain

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Thursday, May 24th, 2018

Our lives are constantly dictated by tight schedules and lengthy to-do lists. The stress of the workplace or the home can quickly compound, making even simple tasks seem like a hassle. The best way to stay calm and collected even in those frustrating situations is to keep an organized mind. The goal isn’t to compartmentalize every aspect of your life into an even stricter schedule and to-do list. The goal is to declutter your brain of unnecessary thoughts so that you can focus on one thing at a time (and do it successfully, too).

But how can we go about getting our mind in the right state? With all these stressors surrounding us, it’s a lot tougher than said. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Keep a journal

Yes, I’m sure we have all heard “keep a journal” a thousand times. But, what makes it so useful? Journals are essential for word blurts. When we feel overwhelmed by the thoughts, sometimes the best option is to get it all out at once. Open a document on your computer, and start typing away. Don’t stop until you have nothing left to say. Once you’re done, you’ll be able to focus on specifics without worrying about all those other “things” bouncing around.

Learn a few strategies to make decisions

One of the most stressful aspects of our lives is making decisions. Even choosing what to eat for breakfast can be stressful when you only have 5 minutes to make yourself something that stays true to your diet. Deciding if you want to go out with your friends on a Thursday night, knowing you have work early the next day is another. Or maybe you’re torn between staying with your current job and moving to a new city to pursue something better but making less.

All these decisions that we must make every day of our lives pile up quickly and cause the mind to get cluttered. A useful strategy is Heath’s WRAP method: widen your choices, reality-test your assumptions, attain distance before deciding, and prepare to be wrong.

If you’re short on time, use the tried-and-true method of a pro/con list. Listing your options and their potential benefits and downsides might give you an obvious answer that you weren’t able to see with a cluttered mind.

Know when it is time to see your local Las Vegas Neurologist to help guide you to better brain health management. Sometimes our bodies are trying to tell us something and we don’t listen. If your body and brain is overwhelmed, listen to it. Stress can impact the brain’s health.

Rearrange your priorities

What’s more important to you: family or your career? What about loyalty or honesty? What are your core values? And what do you want to be kept at the forefront of your mind when making decisions? Oftentimes, in the heat of complicated situations, we sacrifice what’s important to us to complete a task. If we constantly remind ourselves of what is important to us, we can make better decisions and make them faster. Keeping a set of principles ahead of us at all times also helps to declutter the things that aren’t as important.

Get out of the past

The biggest clutter in our mind is what we’ve done in the past. We miss one deadline, and it becomes the only thing we can think about for the next week. The best way we can help ourselves is to acknowledge when our mind returns to a negative memory of the past and calmly bring it back to focus. Slowly training our minds to see the positives and stay in the present keeps us free from the clutter of the past.

Clean your physical space

A big contributor to the mess in your mind is the mess that is all around you in your physical space. The unnecessary visual stimuli kick your mind into hyperdrive, making you think you constantly have to accomplish tasks. Taking a few minutes to keep your space clean each day will help you relax.

Conclusion

The stressors that we experience each day of our lives sometimes make it difficult to keep a clear mind. But taking the time to do some clean-up following the tips outlined above can help you live a less stressful life. If you are experiencing brain health issues, visit your local Las Vegas Neurologist and seek help.

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Categories : Blog, Brain Health, brain stress, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Migraines, Silver State Neurology, stress, stress relief
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Migraines: When is it time to see a doctor?

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Friday, April 13th, 2018

Migraines are large throbbing pains in the head and neck that is often very severe. Migraines can affect a specific side of the head and can be so bothersome that it causes nausea or vision impairments. The feeling is an intense pain pulsating that can cause vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. It is a neurological disorder that can involve the chemical activity in your brain, nerves or blood.

It’s hard to tell how long migraines will last.  Some migraines can last a few hours and much more severe ones can last for days. The pain of a migraine can be disabling and prevent you from your daily activities and functions. Aura is a warning symptom that some people experience before a migraine. These can occur during the migraine as well.

Migraines can be treated to prevent migraines and make them less painful. Talk to your Las Vegas Neurologist about your options to treat your migraines if you are having trouble finding relief.

Symptoms of Migraines

Migraines can often run in the family and it affects people of all ages. Migraines begin in childhood or in early adulthood for some people. If you have a family history of migraines, you are in risk of having it. Symptoms for migraines can be caught before you experience it. This is known as the prodrome stage. Symptoms to look out for during prodrome:

  • Food cravings
  • Mood changes such as depression
  • Fatigue and frequent yawning
  • Hyperactivity
  • Irritability
  • Neck stiffness
  • Constipation

Aura

Aura is a warning symptom that you can get after the prodrome stage and right before a migraine. Aura can cause problems in your vision, movement and even your speech. There are a lot of people who experience migraines with aura but if you experience these examples, it is likely you have migraine aura:

  • Difficulty speaking
  • Tingling sensations in body
  • Visualizing light flashes and/or bright spots
  • Vision loss
  • Body weakness or numbness

Migraines vs. Headaches

Headaches are pains in your head that involve pressure and aching. The pain of headache is mild, and you feel it on more sides of your head than one specific spot. Common areas that people feel headaches are forehead, temples and the back of the neck. They typically don’t last as long as migraines. Migraines last longer and are much more severe. There are instances where migraines can be so severe that you can find yourself going to the emergency room. They have far more effects than a headache including: vomiting, nausea, vision loss and disturbing long-lasting pain.

When to see your Neurologist

Sometimes it can be difficult to decide when it’s time to see a doctor. Migraines are painful and severe but they are not dangerous which can add to the difficulty in deciding when to see a doctor. It’s important to pay attention to the symptoms you are experiencing. Sometimes migraine symptoms can also be symptoms of other conditions that would lead to much more serious issues.

Seek consultation from a doctor if:

  • Your migraines are severe or begin suddenly
  • You experience migraines much more frequently and they worsen
  • If your speech, health and vision are impaired
  • Coughing or sneezing causes or triggers a migraine

Contact your Las Vegas Neurologist if you are experiencing migraines that are severe and prevent you from functioning normally throughout your day!

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Categories : Blog, Brain Health, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Migraines, stress, stress relief
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Stress- How it can affect the Brain

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Thursday, March 15th, 2018

Stress is one of the major health issues many Americans experience. Stress can largely affect a person’s brain in more ways than you would think. In short, stress is not entirely bad, but if it is not managed or controlled, one can have negative and harmful effects on the body and brain. Everyone feels stressed at times, but sometimes there are moments in our lives that take a huge toll and overwhelm us. This causes a lot of tension in our bodies.

Stress takes on many forms:

  • Pressure in demanding work
  • Arguments with a family member or loved one
  • Rocky home environments
  • Lack of time
  • Money issues

    • Stress is good in a way that helps you perform under intense circumstances and motivates you to learn to manage your time and work better altogether. It can improve your skills in the long run. If a high level of stress and feeling overwhelmed is ongoing every minute of each day, your body is not balanced and you could begin to have stronger signs of having chronic stress. Ultimately, it can have harmful effects altogether.

    Anyone struggling with coping and managing stress, or experiencing high levels of chronic stress, visit your Las Vegas neurologist for more information, diagnosis or treatments for what you are feeling.

    What happens to the brain when it’s stressed?


    Stress can cause the release of adrenaline which increases the amount of sugar in your blood. This leads to an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure. The brain’s hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland telling it to release a stress hormone called cortisol. When your cortisol levels are too high and have been prolonged, it can affect the immune system overall resulting in decreasing the amount of brain cells.

    Overall changes to the body from prolonged stress:

  • Blood pressure rises
  • Can cause stroke
  • Memory impairment
  • Immune activity decrease
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Digestive system slows down

    • Things that can influence your stress levels:

    Your group of friends and family: Shaving a strong support system is important when feelings of stress rise. When you have people that can easily lift your spirits and lighten your mood after feeling overwhelmed, it is easier to wind down and balance your levels. A person that is alone and isolated can easily trigger the brain to feel emotional and physical stress.

    Your motto in life: The way you see your challenges can influence your manner in taking control over it. Being optimistic and positive can help you get through tougher obstacles. If you are vulnerable and sensitive, it is likely stress will control you. Living a life embracing challenges and making light of situations will make it easier for you when stressful situations arise.

    Learn how to deal with your own emotions: Sometimes all it takes to feel less stressed is for you to take a deep breath, recollect and calm yourself back down. You can increase your stress tolerance by being able to identify with your emotions and being able to control that part of yourself. Many people struggle with their emotions and can at times, let their emotions bring more stress.

    Getting enough rest: Sleep is important to keep the brain functioning properly and healthy. Chronic stress can affect your sleep, so it is important to normalize your sleeping patterns.

    Eating healthy: For your brain to stay healthy, it needs nutrients to keep it balanced, nourished and overall in control of your emotions and stresses. If your brain does not get the nutrients it needs, it is likely that your mood and ability to deal with stress mentally can be affected.

    Visit your Las Vegas neurologist to address concerns you may have regarding any negative affects on your brain that could be triggered from your stress.

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    Categories : Blog, Brain Health, brain stress, Headaches, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Migraines, Silver State Neurology, Sleep Disorders, stress
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    Multiple Sclerosis Awareness

    By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
    Monday, March 5th, 2018

    March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month! More than 400,000 Americans of almost all ages are affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Everyday, people with this condition are not letting it affect their lives. By sharing their stories, many can better understand a life with it. Our Las Vegas neurologist is working to push awareness throughout this month.

    What is MS?

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown but our Las Vegas neurologist best practice is to diagnose it as soon as possible and treat it.

    Symptoms:

    • Pain areas: in the back or eyes
    • Pain circumstances: can occur in the back due to head nod or with eye movement
    • Tremor: can occur during precise movements, in the hands, or limbs
    • Muscular: cramping, difficulty walking, inability to rapidly change motions, involuntary movements, muscle paralysis, muscle rigidity, muscle weakness, problems with coordination, stiff muscles, clumsiness, muscle spasms, or overactive reflexes
    • Whole body: fatigue, dizziness, heat intolerance, poor balance, vertigo, or weakness
    • Sensory: pins and needles, abnormality of taste, reduced sensation of touch, or uncomfortable tingling and burning
    • Urinary: excessive urination at night, leaking of urine, persistent urge to urinate, or urinary retention
    • Visual: blurred vision, double vision, or vision loss
    • Sexual: erectile dysfunction or sexual dysfunction
    • Mood: anxiety or mood swings
    • Speech: slurred speech or impaired voice
    • Also common: constipation, depression, difficulty swallowing, difficulty thinking and understanding, flare, headache, heavy legs, numbness of face, rapid involuntary eye movement, sleep deprivation, tongue numbness, or difficulty raising the foot

     

    Diagnosis and Treatment:

    There is no specific test for MS, usually after certain symptoms reveal, our Las Vegas neurologist will likely tests such as:

    • Blood Tests- to help rule out other disease with symptoms similar to MS.
    • Lumbar puncture- small sample of fluid is removed from your spinal cord for laboratory analysis which can show abnormalities in antibodies that are associated with MS.
    • MRI- this can reveal areas of MS on your brain and spinal cord. You may receive an intravenous injection of a contrast material to highlight lesions that indicate your disease is in an active phase.
    • Evoked potential tests- in other words record the electrical signals produced by your nervous system in response to stimuli. This may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli, in which you watch a moving visual pattern, or short electrical impulses are applied to nerves in your legs or arms. Electrodes measure how quickly the information travels down your nerve pathways.

     

    There is a great number of people in the US who are not as aware of Multiple Sclerosis and many other diseases altogether. Spreading awareness in big or small ways makes a big difference in the community. How are you spreading awareness?

    Tips in Spreading Awareness for MS:

    • Follow your Las Vegas neurologist to find out more information on various conditions!
    • Wear orange to represent the disease and share with others what the color symbolizes!
    • Join a MS support group, our Las Vegas neurologist actively does this.
    • Volunteer in many MS events throughout the month for support, fundraisers, and helping others with this condition.
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    Categories : Blog, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, multiple sclerosis, Silver State Neurology
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    Sleep Apnea: A very common sleep disorder

    By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
    Wednesday, February 21st, 2018

    Sleep Apnea is a very common sleep disorder which affects more than 22 million people in the United States. Unfortunately, 80% of moderate to severe sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Las Vegas neurologist Dr. Christopher Milford knows how important it is for people to learn sleep apnea symptoms. Included are sleep apnea signs you shouldn’t ignore. If you are experiencing these symptoms of sleep apnea, please see a neurologist in Las Vegas!

    Please note that signs of sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, even children. However, there are risk factors of sleep apnea that may put you at a higher risk. These include:

    • being a male
    • being overweight
    • being over the age of 40
    • having a large neck size (above 17 inches in men, and above 16 inches in women)
    • having large tonsils
    • having a large tongue
    • having a small jaw bone,
    • having a family history of sleep apnea
    • Gastroesophageal Reflux or GERD
    • Nasal Obstruction due to deviated septum, allergies, or sinus problems

    Sleep Apnea is a very serious and life-threatening sleep disorder. Sleep Apnea is when the tissue at the back of the throat between the mouth and lungs can briefly collapse and become so restricted that breathing stops, momentarily or for longer periods.

    There are two primary types of Sleep Apnea:

    • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – This is the most common diagnosed Sleep Apnea Disorder. This is where the throat muscles relax during sleep to such an extent that the passage of air to and from the lungs becomes blocked. When this happens the autonomic nervous system messages the brain which then wakes up briefly to reopen the airways and then usually tries to return to sleep.
    • Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – This is a less common condition and it is the opposite from OSA. This is when the brain forgets to tell the airways to remain open during sleep. This type of Sleep Apnea can occur in 1 in 5 cases. In most cases, CSA is triggered by other medical conditions such as strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, or brain infections. It can also be brought on as a side effects from opioids or narcotic medicines.

    Some people can also suffer from Mixed Sleep Apnea (MSA). This is a combination of both Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea in varying levels of severity and complexity.

    Common symptoms of Sleep Apnea include:

    • Irritability
    • Memory Loss
    • Loud or frequent snoring
    • Choking or gasping sounds
    • Unrefreshing sleep
    • Morning headaches
    • Silent pauses in breathing
    • Insomnia
    • Daytime fatigue
    • Decreased sexual desire
    • Difficulty Concentrating

    Sleep Apnea is more common in children than is generally recognized. It is estimated that 1 to 4 percent of children suffer from Sleep Apnea, many of them being between the age of 2 and 8. Bed- wetting, sleep-walking, retarded growth, other hormonal and metabolic problems, even failure to thrive can be related to sleep apnea.

    If left untreated, Sleep Apnea can result in a growing number of health problems including:

    • Stroke
    • Heart failure
    • Irregular Heart Beats
    • Heart Attacks
    • Diabetes
    • High Blood Pressure
    • Headaches
    • Depression
    • Worsening of ADHD

    If you suspect you may have sleep apnea the first thing to do is see your doctor. It is recommended that you bring with you a record of your sleep, fatigue levels throughout the day, and any other symptoms you might be having. Also, be sure to take with you an updated list of medications, including over the counter medications, with you any time you visit a doctor for the first time. Sleep Apnea is considered a Neurological Disorder therefore it is recommended to visit a Neurologist if you feel that you are suffering from symptoms related to Sleep Apnea. The range of sleep disorders neurologists treat is wide and includes insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.

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    Categories : Blog, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Silver State Neurology, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Disorders
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