We, perhaps, give little thought to our brains, it functions automatically during our waking and sleeping hours. Seemingly, it never fails us, and we take it, and its functions, for granted. But, just as with any other part of the body, it can fail us. Its failures can be due to a multitude of reasons, and when it does fail, the symptoms should not be ignored.
The human brain is the commander in chief of the entire body, and the most complex organ within the body. The brain controls all of the motor skills, bodily temperature, breathing, touch, vision, thoughts, memory and emotions. Along with the spinal cord the brain is classified as the body’s central nervous system.
The brain is not a muscle, it is an organ that is made up of neurons, glial cells, blood vessels and nerves. On average the brain weighs about 1.3 to 1.5 kilos. Around 40% of the brain is made up of water, salts, carbohydrates, and protein, the other 60 % is fat.
How Does the Brain Work?
The brain is made up of what is commonly known as grey and white matter. The gray matter is the outer part of the brain, and is darker than the inner section, with the white matter being the inner area. Whilst in the spinal cord the order of gray and white matter is reversed, the white matter being the outer layer and the dark matter being the inner part.
This, all commanding, organ sends and receives electrical and chemical signals throughout the entire body. The brain interprets this constant stream of signals, controlling the body’s motor skills, or making you feel excited, tired, or perhaps pleasure and pain. Every thought, emotion and action are controlled in this way.
It is the billions of neurons, or nerve cells, in the nervous system, and throughout the entire body, which allows this to happen. Some of these messages are retained in the brain, as thoughts and memory, and some sent across the body as actions to outside influences.
At a simple level we can look upon the brain as having 3 main parts, they are the cerebrum, brainstem and cerebellum. These 3 parts of the brain are covered and protected by 3 outer layers. Closest to, and wrapping the brain, is the pia matter. This is covered by the weblike arachnoid matter which retains the cerebrospinal fluid which acts as a cushion for the brain. The outermost layer is the dura matter which lines the skull and supplies the brain with blood via veins and arteries.
Brain Health Issues
In short, brain health issues can be looked upon as being as one of three types, mental health issues, disease, and injury. Although these three areas can, and do, overlap. Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are quite common mental health issues.
Injuries to the brain can include a stroke or following physical trauma to the head. Common brain diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, encephalitis, and epilepsy. All of these brain health issues can be treated, with varying degrees of success. The success of any neuro treatment depends on the severity of the individual’s health issue, and vitally, the quality of the treatment being delivered.
Ensuring Quality Brain health Care
Anyone with brain health issues requires the knowledge and skills of highly trained professionals to effectively diagnose, and then apply the appropriate treatment plans to achieve the maximum results. This can only be found at a facility dedicated to brain health and treatment. One such facility is Samitivej Hospital’s Brain Health Center in Bangkok.
The assembled team of internationally trained physicians are leaders in the field of treating victims of strokes caused by hemorrhage or infarction, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, dementia, and vertigo. Other common brain health issues dealt with include chronic pain, headaches, and dizziness.
Treatment for brain health issues can take many forms. Some conditions benefit from medication which can help to relieve symptoms or underlying conditions. This may include blood thinners which can dissolve blood clots that are inhibiting the blood supply to the brain.
For severe brain health issues, such as tumors, surgery may be necessary to relieve pressure on the brain, surgery can also be of benefit to epilepsy or dementia sufferers. The center’s neurosurgeons are internationally trained, highly skilled doctors. Stereotactic radiosurgery is therapy which uses a form of radiation which focuses high-powered x-rays which can be targeted to specific areas of the body, this makes it a very efficient form of treatment to use on the brain.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective method of treating patients with emotional or behavioral health issues when conducted by a skilled practitioner. Diet, exercise, and stress management are also vital to brain health and has been proven to help sufferers of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
The Brain Health Center Facilities
This state-of-the-art facility is not only staffed by renown specialists but is also equipped with the most modern and technologically advanced equipment. This includes computer tomography scanners (CT-Scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).
The facility also has a sleep lab which can monitor brain waves during a patient’s sleep. This allows for more accurate diagnostics from the specialist team. They can also utilize video head impulse testing, or VHIT. This is ideal for diagnosing vestibular health issues, including problems with balance, dizziness, and vertigo.
The entire center has been designed to be conducive to relaxation and to be stress relieving. From reception to the diagnostic facility and the treatment suites, the staff’s approach and interaction with patients, and the facility’s ambience is all designed to be patient friendly.
Signs of any brain health issue should not be ignored, abnormal behavior or movements, fainting spells, headaches, dizziness, tingling limbs, or memory deficit should immediately be assessed by skilled doctors to ascertain their cause or origin. Early diagnosis is vital for any successful treatment and therapy, thus helping to maintain quality of life for the patient.
Samitivej Hospital’s Brain Health Center in Bangkok is now renowned throughout the world for its success in diagnostics and treatment of brain health issues. The facility not only treats patients from within the indigenous population but is now treating more and more patients from across the world, both foreign expats and visitors seeking the best possible treatment.
