Health Library
Conditions & Symptoms A–Z
Plain-language explanations of 60 conditions we treat at SIMS — written the way a consultant would explain them across the desk. Each entry sets out the symptoms, the point at which you should stop waiting, the tests usually advised and how the condition is treated here.
Browse the A–Z
Brain & Nerves
Choose a system below to narrow the list to that body system.
Showing 6 of 60 conditions
Brain & Nerves (6)
Stroke
A stroke is a sudden interruption of blood supply to part of the brain, either from a clot or from bleeding. Treatment that can reverse the damage works only within a narrow window from the moment symptoms begin, so a stroke is an emergency in exactly the way a heart attack is.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a tendency to have repeated seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It is a medical condition, not a curse or a possession, and the majority of patients become seizure-free on regular treatment.
Migraine
Migraine is a recurring headache disorder, typically one-sided and throbbing, often with nausea and an intolerance of light and sound. It is not a sign of a brain tumour, but it is disabling enough that many people lose working days to it every month.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive condition in which the brain loses cells that control smooth movement, producing tremor, stiffness and slowness. Treatment does not cure it, but it can restore a great deal of independence for many years.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves supplying the hands and feet, producing numbness, burning and tingling. In this region diabetes is by far the commonest cause, followed by vitamin B12 deficiency, alcohol and long-standing kidney disease.
Dementia
Dementia is a progressive loss of memory, reasoning and everyday function that goes beyond normal ageing. Some causes are reversible, which is why an elderly person becoming forgetful deserves assessment rather than acceptance.
These pages describe conditions in general terms. They cannot tell you what is wrong with you, and self-diagnosis delays treatment far more often than it speeds it up. For chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding, call 108 or come straight to the emergency department.
Found the condition but not the answer?
Every entry links to the department that treats it. Book a consultation and a specialist will tell you which parts of it apply to your case.