The Department of Neurology at NB Kadikoy Hospital at the service of our valuable patients by using up-to-date technological equipment in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up methods.
Reasons of Patients with Diabetes to Apply to Neurology:
Diabetes is a vascular and nervous disease and affects the whole body.
The disease that develops by affecting the hands, legs and nervous system is called Diabetic Neuropathy.
What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
The diabetic neuropathy is a nerve injury secondary to diabetes. It affects the nervous system of all internal organs.
What Are Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy?
- Numbness in hands and feet
- Tingling in hands and feet
- Sensation of burning
- Malaise
- Sensation of distention on the sole
- Tenderness in senses
- Loss of strength.
How Is Diabetic Neuropathy Diagnosed?
When diagnosing the diabetic neuropathy, obtaining patients’ medical history in detail is the most important part. In this way, it is understood whether these discomforts occur in motion or at rest.
Which Tests Are Performed?
- Vibration Sensation Test is a test that is performed to learn whether there is nerve injury or not.
- Also, EMG, called gold standard, is performed.
What Is an EMG Test?
An EMG test is a nerve conduction test. It allows the detection of nerve and muscle problems.
By giving patients electricity in small amount of voltage and stimulating the nerves in this way, it provides a response.
Another problem that is very common in patients with diabetes is entrapments.
Nerve Entrapments nerve entrapment in wrist, meaning Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, is a disorder causing numbness in hands and requires surgery as a solution if it is caused by diabetes.
Nerve injury in legs, herniated discs and conditions that require surgery are diagnosed early with an EMG test, and treatment is provided accordingly.
The EMG test is a method that reveals many problems like this. It is performed directly by neurologists and concluded immediately. Patients are referred to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and General Surgery depending on the cause of the disease, or patient are treated if the disease is within the Neurology’s field of interest.
What Can Be Done for Diabetic Neuropathy?
- Blood Glucose Regulation
- Treatments According to Findings
Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment
After the disease is detected with analysis, examination and an EMG test, treatment is provided with patients based on the underlying causes.
As diabetes is a multisystemic disease, it involves all branches and affects all organs. Therefore, it should be treated with a multidisciplinary approach.
The Department of Podology is very important for patients with diabetes in this regard. Due to nerve and vascular injury, feet require good care. Neuropathy might manifest itself with sensation loss as well as pressure against feet and sensation of burning, which the patients cannot feel. Therefore, these symptoms are noticed after days. When these wounds become larger, they can end up in diabetic foot and may cause organ loss as a result.
What Are the Problems Caused by Diabetes in Terms of Neurological Diseases?
- Complexity of Neuropathy
Nerve injury in the functioning of the vascular system, sudden decrease in blood pressure when standing up, balance problems while walking, bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation), impotency problems in men, problems experienced while urinating (inability to urinate, incontinence) are all controlled by the nervous system. Patients with diabetic neuropathy are also affected by these conditions.
- Small Vessel Disease and Nervous System Diseases
With the effect of diabetes on the brain vessels, atherosclerosis (vessel stiffness) occurs. The stiffness that occurs in the vessels prepares the ground for stiffness in the cardiac veins, jugular veins extending to the brain and brain veins, that is, paralysis. The risk of stroke is very high in patients with diabetes.
- Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea refers to pause of breathing for at least 10 seconds during sleep at night. It occurs due to lack of sufficient oxygen. Patients with diabetes especially tend to have sleep apnea.
What Are Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
- Waking up with severe headache
- Waking up with fatigue and malaise
- Waking up with high blood pressure
- Somnolence during daytime
- Poor concentration
- Continuous fatigue
- Elevated blood pressure despite medication use
- Inability to lose weight despite dieting.
The sleep apnea is more common especially in individuals with overweight and short neck.
How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
The sleep apnea is diagnosed with a sleep study (polysomnography).
What Is a Sleep Study?
The patient is accommodated for 1 night at our hospital. During the study, a device is used, which consists of electrodes attached to the head as well as other ones attached to the nose, arm, leg and chest in order to evaluate the respiratory system. The patient's sleep phases are examined. The electrodes, called EEG, are used for this purpose.
Respiratory functions, number of snoring, foot movements and restless leg syndrome, very common disorder in the world, can be detected thanks to this study which is conducted and recorded with a camera system all night long.
The patient is observed under camera system during all night by our sleep technicians.
If the patient is diagnosed with typical sleep apnea;
The patient is given compressed oxygen in certain amounts according to the patient’s need using CIPAP devices that are basically respiratory devices. Thanks to this device, the patient can get the oxygen that he could not receive during the sleep.
Who Takes Part on The Treatment Team?
Otorhinolaryngology, Pulmonary Medicine and Neurology provide treatment in joint approach.
Does Diabetes Trigger Unremembrance?
Unremembrance is observed in patients with diabetes due to vascular injury. Stiffness of the small vessels around the brain and vascular occlusions may cause unremembrance if they are more intense in the regions that affect memory.
At Neurology Clinic of our hospital;
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Dementia
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Cerebrovascular Diseases (Stroke)
- Epilepsy
- Neuromuscular Diseases
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Sleep Disorders (Sleep Apnea)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Peripheral Nerve Diseases (Neuropathy, Cervical-Lumbar Disc Hernia) are among the diseases that we provide diagnosis and treatment services benefiting from up-to-date medical knowledge and technologies.
In follow-up, treatment and differential diagnosis of neurological diseases;
- Cranial Magnetic Resonance (MR)
- Cranial Tomography
- Color Doppler Ultrasonography of Carotid Vertebral System
are used for our patients and the diseases can be diagnosed very easily and quickly.
Within our Sleep Clinic, sleep apnea syndrome can be detected by performing Polysomnography (PSG) study.
The EMG (electromyography) study is performed at our department, which is a dynamic diagnosis method for differential diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy and other neuropathies, lumbar-cervical disc hernia, nerve entrapments and numbness in hands/feet particularly complained by patients with diabetes.
EEG study (electroencephalogram) is conducted for differential diagnosis of epilepsy, changes in consciousness and central nervous system diseases with manifestation of syncope.
Services at The Department of Neurology
- MRI
- ECG
- Computed Tomography
- Cranial Tomography
- Color Doppler Ultrasonography of Carotid - Vertebral System
- EMG