Neurologist in Sharjah

What does a neurologist do?

A neurologist treats disorders of the nervous system — the brain, spinal cord and the nerves running throughout the body. Neurological symptoms are often frightening precisely because they affect how you think, move and sense the world.

Many have treatable causes. A substantial number turn out not to be neurological at all, and finding that out is itself a useful result.

When should you see a neurologist?

See a neurologist for frequent or severe headaches, seizures or episodes of altered awareness, persistent dizziness or vertigo, numbness, tingling or weakness in the limbs, tremor, memory or concentration problems, chronic sleep disturbance, or unexplained changes in balance and coordination.

When is it an emergency?

Recognising a stroke is the most important information on this page.

Use FAST — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services immediately.

Do not wait to see whether it passes. Do not drive yourself. Stroke treatments that restore blood flow work only within a narrow window from symptom onset, and every minute of delay costs brain tissue. Symptoms that resolve within minutes still need urgent assessment — a transient ischaemic attack is a warning that a larger stroke may follow.

What happens at your appointment?

Neurology consultations are heavily dependent on history. Your neurologist will want a precise account: when symptoms started, what they feel like, how long they last, what triggers them, what makes them better, and whether they are getting worse.

Write this down before you come. Under the pressure of a consultation, most people forget the detail that turns out to matter.

If someone has witnessed your episodes — seizures, collapses, confusion — bring them or bring their written description. What a witness saw is frequently more diagnostically useful than what you remember, because you may not remember it at all.

The neurological examination assesses cranial nerves, power, sensation, reflexes, coordination and gait. It takes time and looks unusual; it is entirely painless.

Understanding the tests

An EEG records electrical activity in the brain using scalp electrodes. It is painless and takes around an hour. It supports the diagnosis of epilepsy, though a normal EEG does not exclude it.

Nerve conduction studies and EMG assess how well nerves and muscles are working. Small electrical pulses are used, which feel odd but are brief and tolerable. These tests identify the pattern of nerve damage — which often points directly to the cause.

MRI provides detailed images of the brain and spinal cord. It is arranged when imaging would change the diagnosis or the plan. Many neurological diagnoses are made clinically without any scan.

Headache and migraine

Most headaches are not dangerous, but they can be genuinely disabling. Migraine in particular is widely under-diagnosed and under-treated — often dismissed by sufferers themselves as "just a headache" for years.

Assessment distinguishes primary headaches such as migraine and tension-type from secondary headaches caused by something else. Effective treatment exists for both acute attacks and prevention.

A headache diary is one of the most useful things you can bring: when attacks occur, how long they last, what preceded them, and what you took. Patterns emerge that are invisible from memory alone.

Medication-overuse headache deserves specific mention. Taking painkillers for headache more than about ten days a month can itself cause a persistent daily headache. It is common, it is easily missed, and it improves when identified.

Seek urgent care for a sudden severe headache reaching maximum intensity within seconds, headache with fever and a stiff neck, headache after a head injury, or headache with new weakness, confusion or vision loss.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a tendency to recurrent seizures, and it takes many forms. Not all involve convulsions — some present as brief lapses of awareness easily mistaken for daydreaming, particularly in children.

Diagnosis relies heavily on a detailed description of the episodes. An EEG and imaging support it. Most people with epilepsy achieve good seizure control with medication.

Practical matters are part of care: driving regulations, safety at work and at home, medication in pregnancy, and what family members should do during a seizure. Ask about all of them.

Dizziness and vertigo

Dizziness is one of the hardest symptoms to sort out, because the causes span the inner ear, the brain, blood pressure and medication side effects.

A careful history usually narrows it substantially before testing begins. Whether the room spins, whether it occurs on turning over in bed, how long episodes last, and what else accompanies them all point in different directions.

Benign positional vertigo is common and often responds to a simple repositioning manoeuvre performed in clinic — sometimes resolving in a single visit.

Nerve problems

Peripheral neuropathy causes numbness, tingling, burning or weakness, usually starting in the feet. Diabetes is the most common cause worldwide and is particularly relevant here given local diabetes prevalence.

Other causes include vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disease, alcohol and certain medications. Several are correctable, which is why identifying the cause matters rather than treating the symptom alone.

Memory and cognition

Memory concerns are common and have many causes — a good number entirely reversible, including thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency, depression, sleep disorders and medication effects.

Assessment identifies what is treatable and provides clarity where a degenerative cause is found. Clarity is valuable in itself: it allows planning, support and appropriate treatment rather than years of uncertainty.

Long-term conditions

Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy are managed over years. Care includes medication adjustment, symptom management, and coordination with physiotherapy and other specialties. Continuity matters — small changes over time are easier to spot for someone who knows you.

Cost and insurance

Most UAE plans cover neurology consultation and standard testing. MRI coverage frequently requires pre-approval. Contact us on 06 599 7777 to confirm before your appointment.