Dr. Joseph N. Rudolph

It is most likely NOT a brain tumor. A tumor would present with a focal problem, like it would pretend to be a stroke, or perhaps cause a seizure. On the other hand, maybe you are having occasional small seizures and you don't know? A cause of "General decline" is first and foremost a metabolic issue; you might want to see if your Vitamin B12 level is normal, for example. Another idea - and don't dismiss this out of hand - could be something like depression. Depression (or anxiety) could cause such a distraction that regular cognitive functions cannot get off the ground. Is your sleep disturbed? Not sleeping well could certainly lead to cognitive decline. And it could be that your sleep is disrupted because of outside features like your having a new dog that wakes you or internal issues like a sleep disorder. (Depression of course could mess with this also, but this is also an independent possibility.) Obviously, this short answer is no replacement for getting a neurologist and having a proper evaluation followed by the desired tests (blood tests, brain scan, sleep study, EEG, etc).

Hand swelling is generally not a neurologic problem. Cervical spine issues can cause pain, numbness, and weakness, but if there is swelling you should go see a rheumatologist or vascular specialist.

As far as I know, foods themselves do not cause dementia. However, one form of dementia, perhaps the most common aside from outright Alzheimer’s, is vascular dementia. This is a buildup of tiny little strokes that cause tiny amounts of damage, with a cumulative effect of slowed thinking and declining balance. Risks of tiny little strokes and risks of large strokes and heart attacks are the same. So if you are working with your primary doctor to improve all of your blood vessel risk factors then you are on the right path. To this I would add to never be dehydrated and to (of course) be involved with exercise, as these also promote good blood flow.

There are many things that can cause numbness. The phrase "issues in the nervous system" is too vague to even begin to comment on - it's like asking what causes issues in your cardiac system, or in the electrical system in your house. Rather, the method is first figure out exactly WHERE the problem is from (not necessarily the easiest thing, of course): is the problem in the brain, in the spine, in the nerve? Anywhere else? Only THEN does it make sense to try to determine the cause. These steps are the job of a neurologist. If your primary doc is hesitant to diagnose this, then please make sure to request a referral to a Neuro.

Speaking in general terms, though, if the numbness is all on one side, it may be a brain problem, such as a stroke, while if the numbness is on both sides, but more prominently in the feet (and possibly in the hands) then it could be a neuropathy. If the numbness is all below one level in the body, then it could be a spine issue, like a herniated disc. Since you describe hands and feet and are talking about your father (who I will assume is an older gentleman, since he has a younger person doing the asking for him), neuropathy may be the most likely. The most common cause of neuropathy in the U.S. is uncontrolled diabetes. Other causes include vitamin deficiencies (B12, B6), inflammation from other diseases, or side effects of medications.

This is not to diagnose - please go to a neurologist for more detailed - and person-specific - responses.

Nothing is 100%. But one major thing to look for is change in behavior or alertness. A slowly growing collection of blood results in slow decline and worsening sleepiness. But a 24 year old rarely gets this sort of thing - they are more likely to have a faster going bleed. So if there is no rapid change, then she is probably OK.

Getting a CT scan can be done as an outpatient, of course, if you speak to your own doctor. If you start feeling more nervous about it, then it warrants a trip to the emergency department.