Piece of Mind
Diagnosis of Symptoms
e.g. Headache, Blackouts, Seizures, Tremor, Numbness, Neuropathic pain, Weakness, Memory, Speech & Language Problems, Gait and Balance Problems, Dizziness†, Double Vision
Conditions commonly managed
Migraine, Cluster Headache, Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Myasthenia, Motor Neuron Disease, Certain Sleep Disorders (e.g. Restless Legs Syndrome).
I have been a full time NHS Consultant Neurologist since 2005 and the Lead Neurologist for the Neuroscience Centre in Sussex since 2010. I diagnose and manage most of the conditions mentioned in the quick links webpage and many more!
What to expect?
Once you have been referred to see a Neurologist it is very often difficult to know what to expect – at Sussex we have a great team who offer help, support and information to reassure.
Before any treatments begin a patient has to be diagnosed.
So our first meeting is likely to be 30 minutes long. Here I will take a full medical history with a focused neurological examination.
Following your examination we will discuss the likely diagnosis and the need for any tests and possible treatments.
My style is to discuss symptoms openly and candidly, fully involving the patient and tailoring individual treatment.
If you condition affects other family members it may be helpful to obtain details about their medical history. If your problem is a fit or blackout it would be extremely helpful to bring a witness with you (if available), failing that a written account of the event from the witness or a video clip of the event taken on camera phone.
If your problem is a memory disorder please bring someone who knows you well to provide a corroborative medical history. If you are unable to bring all of your medication with you please bring a written list of medications, their doses and an indication of how long you have been taking each medication.
† Dizziness is a symptom that can have a number of causes, both neurological and otherwise. More often than not dizziness may be due to a problem with your inner ear or as a result of medication or another underlying medical disorder (eg cardiac) and a Neurological Consultation may not be appropriate for all patients with dizziness. In Brighton there is a Specialist Hearing and Balance Therapy Service, part of the Department of Audiology and also a multidisciplinary ‘dizzy’ clinic led by a specialist ENT consultant.
Romi Saha, Consultant Neurologist
