How your doctors in Winchester, VA, can help if you have a movement disorder

If you have a movement disorder, it can be frustrating. The continuous, involuntary body movements can make you feel like you have lost control. The good news is, your doctor can help treat your movement disorder, so you can enjoy your life again. The doctors at Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, offer a wide range of medical and neurological services, including treatment for movement disorders.

At Winchester Neurological Consultants, there is a clinic dedicated to the treatment of movement disorders. The doctors at Winchester Neurological Consultants Movement Disorders Clinic specialize in the treatment of movement disorders. Evaluation, management, and treatment are all part of a comprehensive plan to help you.

The doctors at Winchester Neurological Consultants Movement Disorders Clinic combine multiple medical disciplines including neurosurgery, physical and rehabilitation medicine, neuropsychology, and physical therapy. They can treat a variety of movement disorders including:

• Essential tremor syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Parkinson’s-plus syndrome

The main focus of management and treatment is Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS. It’s safe and effective for the treatment of movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

The DBS stimulator device is implanted during a surgical procedure. After placement of the device, the doctor will discuss medication as an adjunct to the procedure. DBS treatment can reduce the tremors and rigidity associated with Parkinson’s disease and Essential tremor syndrome.

DBS treatment, a medication regimen, and lifestyle modification all work together to help you cope with a movement disorder, so you can enjoy your life again. Your doctor can help you manage a movement disorder, so you can get back to the more fulfilling life you deserve.

To find out more about movement disorders and how your doctor can help, call the doctors of Winchester Neurological Consultants Movement Disorders Clinic in Winchester, VA, at (540) 667-1828. Call today!

How your doctors in Winchester, VA, can help if you have sleep apnea

Have you been told you snore? Do you wake up feeling as if you haven’t slept? If so, you could have sleep apnea, which can have devastating consequences to your health. The good news is, your doctor can treat sleep apnea, so you can sleep soundly again.

The doctors at Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, offer a wide range of medical and neurological services, including treatment for sleep apnea.

So, what exactly is sleep apnea?

It’s a condition during which the tissue at the back of your throat relaxes while you sleep. This tissue can partially or completely block your airway, causing loss of oxygen to your vital organs including your heart and brain.

If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can lead to you having:

• A stroke
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Memory problems

So, how can you tell if you might have sleep apnea? Watch out for these common signs and symptoms:

• Frequent loud snoring
• Having a sore throat in the morning
• Waking up with a headache
• Suddenly waking up gasping or choking
• Feeling groggy or sleepy during the day

If you think you might have sleep apnea, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your doctor, who might recommend a sleep study to determine if you do have sleep apnea.

After a diagnosis is made, your doctor will recommend one of these effective treatments:

• Wearing a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) device while you sleep. The CPAP consists of a mask that fits over your mouth and nose. This is connected to a machine that delivers oxygen to you throughout the night.
• Wearing an oral appliance, which holds your lower jaw forward while you sleep. This device keeps your airway open, allowing a free flow of oxygen throughout the night.

To find out more about the causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment of sleep apnea, call the doctors of Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, at (540) 667-1828. Call now, and sleep better soon!

Accidents happen, and when one involves your head there is a potential risk for a mild or severe concussion depending on the situation. Also known as traumatic brain injuries, concussions result in consequences that require medical attention. At Winchester Neurological Consultants, your doctors have developed a standardized concussion protocol and work as team physicians with high schools and private schools near Winchester, VA. Visit our concussion clinic to begin your road to recovery.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs without you falling unconscious. No one wants to feel their brain rattle, but these injuries often result from violent shaking of the head or sudden jerky movements. Risk factors for concussions heighten when you have a previous history of them or participate in contact sports, like football, soccer, or basketball without the right safety equipment. These factors can reduce when sports are played correctly. It also helps to keep your home safe to prevent slips and falls. Please give our Winchester, VA office a call if you experience one or more of the following after an injury:

• Physical and cognitive fatigue
• Vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, confusion
• Headache, dizziness, pressure in the head
• Sleep more or less than usual, have trouble falling or staying asleep
• Slurred speech, ringing in the ears, temporary loss of consciousness
• Feelings of excessive emotion, sadness, anger, anxiety, or irritability
• Memory delays or loss, difficulty concentrating, problems remembering new information, or trouble thinking clearly

If you've experienced a blow to the head from an injury concussion symptoms can last for hours, days, weeks, and even months. A proper diagnosis entails a neurological examination, cognitive testing, in addition to imaging tests. We can discuss treatment options during your consultation.

For more information about concussions, other conditions we treat, and services provided at Winchester Neurological Consultants, visit our website. Please call (540) 667-1828 to schedule an appointment in our Winchester, VA office.

We all get headaches from time to time, whether due to stress, lack of sleep, sickness, or even a change in the weather. But while headaches can be relieved with an over-the-counter medication, rest, and a little time, Migraines can be intensive, chronic, and hard to treat.

Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, can help you find relief from your migraines so you can get through your days -- and nights -- comfortably.

What causes migraines?

The potential cause of migraines is extensive, from lifestyle habits to the environment. Foods like chocolate and cheese and alcoholic or caffeinated beverages can trigger migraines, as can dehydration. Changes in the weather or temperature, bright or pulsating lights, smoke or other strong odors, or lack of sleep or food can also lead to migraines. If you have overexercised or exerted yourself, migraines may develop. Hormonal changes are another possible cause.

How do I recognize a migraine?

The signs of migraines are more wide-ranging and severe than those of a typical headache. In addition to throbbing or aching head pain, you may also feel nauseated, experience blurred vision, become sweaty or feel cold, become dizzy, feel especially sensitive to lights, sounds, and smells, or feel congested.

How can I treat a migraine?

If you are suffering from migraines, it's a good idea to consult with your provider at our Winchester, VA, office to help pinpoint the cause and best solutions. Depending on the cause, intensity, and frequency of your migraines, one or more of the following may help:

• Increasing consumption of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic fluids
• Use of a cold compress on the forehead or pressure points
• Avoiding triggering foods or drinks
• Taking an over the counter pain reliever
• Massaging your temples
• Eating in regular increments
• Trying stress relief techniques like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or massage
• Getting more hours of sleep
• Use of medication prescribed by your provider for migraines

If migraines are making you miserable, call Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, at 540-667-1828.

Winchester Neurological Consultants in Winchester, VA, helps patients by treating sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea wears on your heart health and if you haven't sought treatment we can help.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where the patient stops breathing during sleep. Constricted airways cause the patient to snore loudly and gasp for air. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but most people with sleep apnea snore loudly and often. This is obviously very stressful for the body to wake up repeatedly throughout a night of sleep, but did you know that sleep apnea can affect your heart health?

Sleep apnea and the heart

When breathing stops the body releases stress hormones, which can lead to heart disease over time. Obesity is a common cause of sleep apnea and plays an important part in heart disease as well. Fat deposits around the upper airways can lead to obstructed breathing, making you more likely to have sleep apnea. Maintaining a healthy weight only helps you have a healthy heart and healthier sleep.

Healthy habits

Healthy habits go a long way in managing sleep apnea. Your Winchester, VA, doctor will recommend limiting alcohol intake and quitting smoking. Smoking is notoriously addictive and some people seek treatment for sleep apnea and continue to smoke. This only puts more stress on your heart every single day. Most people can't quit on their own or on their first try, so don't get discouraged!
 

Both sleep apnea and obesity can each independently increase the risk of heart disease. If you aren't treating your sleep apnea you're putting your heart under extra stress each day. If you have sleep apnea come see Winchester Neurological Consultants for treatment. Contact us in Winchester, VA, at (540) 667-1828.