“The important thing for a neurologist is to diagnose brain and nervous system diseases to determine their causes. Even if the headache symptoms are the same, the range of diseases is very broad. It is necessary to take a detailed history and perform a neurological physical examination, such as X-rays, additional diagnostic tools, and if the diagnosis is on the right track, treatment is no longer a concern.”
Specialized Expertise
Dr. Sirarat Morrat Neurologist is interested in the complex field of diagnosing brain and nervous system diseases. After completing her specialty training at Ramathibodi Hospital, she had the opportunity to meet Professor and EEG expert Dr. Simon Harvey, who inspired her to study in-depth EEG reading in children at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, which also covers EEG reading for diagnosing adult diseases developed from pediatric cases.
“The key to diagnosing brain and nervous system diseases is ‘asking questions’ because these diseases are very complex and sometimes similar. Questioning leads us to the cause of the disease. Diseases caused by abnormalities in the brain and nervous system include epilepsy caused by abnormal brain waves, migraine which is a chronic one-sided headache problem, and stroke which is a major cause of hemiparesis, paralysis, and Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes patients present with similar symptoms. Besides questioning, diagnostic technology and experience provide confidence that we are on the right track.”
Treating Patients… Like Treating Yourself
“Being a doctor allows us to help others and treat patients with the knowledge and experience we have. Therefore, when doctors see patients improve, they feel happy that our treatment approach has improved the patients’ quality of life. When patients apply our advice to self-care, because doctors explain the benefits of behavioral adjustments in a friendly manner, patients understand and are willing to comply. This is considered part of the treatment.”
