Q: While you're in the office, your doctor will test your vitals, reflexes, senses, and muscle strength. They will also ask you questions regarding your medical history, and about how you are feeling. Prepare for your appointment by making a list of your symptoms, including when you experienced them and how severe they were. A neurological exam will involve the use of medical hammers and flashlights, and can be done in your doctor's office. This painless exam is used to assess your motor skills, sensory skills, coordination and balance, hearing and speech, vision, nerve function, and mental clarity. This can help your doctor rule out other potential medical conditions, as well as determine which tests may be useful moving forward. Lab tests will help rule out other medical conditions when diagnosing an MND. Laboratory testsrun on substances including blood, urine, and other bodily substancesare generally painless, although they may involve a small prick to draw blood. An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging test) involves lying down inside a large machine for 1590 minutes. The procedure will generate an image of the interior of your body that doctors can use to assess muscles and diagnose MNDs. An MRI can be used to rule out diseases that affect the spinal cord and brain. Your doctor may allow you to use pillows, blankets, and headphones to make yourself more comfortable during your MRI. A biopsy may be needed to make a definitive MND diagnosis. This will involve the removal of a small muscle sample through a needle or tiny slit. Your doctor will use a local anesthetic to help with any pain. Once the tissue sample has been removed, doctors can study the muscle tissue and examine it for signs of MND. You may experience soreness in the area of your biopsy for a few days afterward. Doctors will also suggest an EMG in order to examine muscle disorders, or disorders of peripheral nerves. This procedure involves the insertion of a thin needle electrode with a recording instrument into one of your muscles. Testing usually lasts about an hour. Your doctor may give you a local anesthetic to help with any minor pain. A nerve conduction study is very simple. It involves the placement of electrodes on the skin. Through these electrodes, your doctor can measure the impulses in your nerves and detect any abnormalities. A nerve conduction velocity study is usually done in conjunction with an EMG. For this test, electrodes will be attached to different areas of your body. Your doctor will stimulate a pulse in your brain, and the electrodes will measure the amount of muscle activity generated by the pulse. This information can help your doctor diagnose upper motor neural dysfunction caused by MNDs. This procedure is totally painless. MNDs are incurable, but you can work with your doctor to manage the symptoms of your MND and live as comfortably as possible. Ask your doctor about physical therapy, which will help with muscle stiffness. If your mouth is effected by the MND, your doctor can refer you to a speech therapist. Ask your doctor about the two drugs that have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of MNDs: Riluzole (or Rilutek), and Radicava (Endaravone). These medications increase survival rates and slow the rate at which MNDs destroy tissue. Your doctor can also prescribe other medications to help with common side effects of MNDs, including muscle cramps and drooling.
A: Ask your doctor for a physical exam. Undergo a neurological exam. Allow your doctor to draw blood and run other laboratory tests. Ask your doctor to perform an MRI. Undergo a biopsy to confirm nerve disease. Undergo electromyography (EMG) to diagnose lower neuron disorders. Ask your doctor to conduct a nerve conduction velocity study. Request a transcranial magnetic stimulation test to study your brain. Create a treatment plan with your doctor after diagnosis.

Q: Not every baking sheet will respond well to a given cleaner. Before applying any cleaner to your sheet, test out the cleaner on a small portion of the baking sheet. Make sure there is no discoloration or damage. Ammonia is toxic, so wear protective gloves when handling it. You should also handle ammonia in a well-ventilated area to prevent breathing in the fumes. If possible, handle ammonia outside. In the future, line your sheet with parchment paper before using it. This will protect the pan from grease and food residue. After using the pan, you will simply have to remove the dirty parchment paper.
A:
Do a spot test before applying any cleaner. Take safety precautions when using ammonia. Use parchment paper when baking.