Early in her training she saw a stroke patient whose injured right side of the brain, the physical organ comprised of nerve cells and blood vessels, was telling the patient’s mind, which is a person’s mental or thought processes, to neglect the left side of the body. “Neurological diseases can change who you are and this specialty allows me to help these patients,” says Shah.
Although neurologists provide care for people with nerve system-related diseases such as stroke, dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease and neuropathy, one of the more common conditions treated include migraine headaches, says Shah. “People put off seeing a doctor for frequent headaches because they believe over-the-counter medications are safe,” she explains. “However, frequent use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen can lead to long-term kidney problems.”
When asked for advice on when to see a neurologist, Shah suggests that anyone taking medication for headaches every day, or almost every day, should be evaluated for migraine headaches. “Also, anyone who notices that they’ve become more clumsy, walk more slowly or drop things more often, should not attribute these subtle changes to age alone, but should see a doctor.”
Get Peace of Mind: Karuna M. Shah, D.O., and other physicians at Neurology Specialists of Hillandale are accepting new patients.
Call 404.501.8354 or visit www.neurologyspecialistsofhillandale.com. For a list of all DeKalb Medical Physicians Group primary care physicians and specialists, visit www.dmpg.org.
