Brain diseases can affect anyone, regardless of age. Children are usually diagnosed with brain tumors, which make up about 20 percent of all childhood cancers. In turn, adolescents and adults often struggle with eating disorders or depression. In addition, the number of seniors with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and strokes is increasing - all because of an aging population. Check what are the diseases of the brain.

Brain Diseasesis a group of diseases that is currently one of the world's leading he alth problems. 165 million Europeans already suffer from brain diseases, for whom EUR 800 billion is spent each year - that's more than cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer together. And as a result of the aging of the population, these costs will increase - according to the report of the European Brain Council from 2014.

Brain diseases - neurodegenerative brain diseases

  • dementia (dementia), which is a progressive decline in intellectual performance caused by changes in the brain. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which affects approximately 250,000 people in Poland. people. It is estimated that by 2022 in our country the number of people struggling with dementia may reach almost 1 million
  • Parkinson's disease is a brain disease that leads to systematically increasing motor disability. About 80,000 people suffer from it in Poland. It usually affects elderly people, over 50 - 60 years of age, and its frequency increases with age
  • multiple sclerosis is the result of the destruction of the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers, which disrupts the conduction of nerve impulses, and thus the functioning of virtually all organs. Movement, vision and even mental changes are disturbed. According to the data of the Polish Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are about 2.5 million people in the world, out of which approx. 500,000. in Europe, and in Poland - about 40 thousand. people

Other neurodegenerative diseases of the brain include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's chorea, Pick's disease, Alexander's disease, Alpers disease, Spielmeyer-Vogt-Sjögren's disease (aka Batten disease), Canavan disease, Cockayne's disease, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher, Refsum's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia

Brain diseases - vascular diseases of the brain

The most commonly diagnosed cerebral vascular disease is a stroke, i.e. a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Research shows that one in ten people in Europe after the age of 50 dies of a stroke. In turn, in Poland every year it occurs in 60 thousand. people.

GOOD TO KNOW>>Stroke types: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke

In addition, vascular diseases of the brain include such diseases as:

  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • brain aneurysms
  • acute hypertensive encephalopathy
  • chronic cerebral arteriosclerosis

Brain diseases - encephalitis

A separate group of brain diseases is encephalitis. This could be viral, bacterial or fungal, autoimmune, or a vaccine complication.

CHECK>>BRAIN INFLAMMATION - causes, types, symptoms and treatment

Brain diseases - cancer

According to the data of the National Cancer Registry, brain tumors account for 2 percent. cases of malignant neoplasms in Poland. Gliomas constitute the largest group of brain tumors (they constitute 40-67% of primary brain tumors). In turn, the most common benign brain tumor is meningioma.

Diseases - schizophrenia, depression, insomnia

Brain diseases also include mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, where each psychotic episode is associated with damage to the gray matter and white matter of the brain, and mood disorders - including bipolar disorder and depression.

In addition, brain diseases include neuromuscular disorders (e.g. dystonia), anxiety disorders, addictions, personality disorders, and even eating disorders and problems with falling asleep.

Other brain conditions include migraine, a sudden, severe headache, usually on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances. According to research, 9 percent suffer from it. Poles, usually young - aged 20-50 - mostly women.

The brain diseases also include epilepsy. It is a disease where there are seizures and loss of consciousness, and it is caused by a disturbance in the function of a group of neurons (nerve cells) concentrated in a specific part of the brain. In Poland, about 400,000 suffer from epilepsy. people.

EPIDEMIC OF BRAIN DISEASE?

Category:

Neurology