When the nervous system is compromised, the human body's ability to feel, move or pump blood can be affected. The nervous system is comprised of the central nervous system, meaning the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, meaning the nerves that extend throughout the rest of the body. The nervous system is comprised of sensory nerves which detect feeling, sight sound and taste and motor nerves, which move muscles and autonomic nerves that regulate internal organs.
Autonomic Nervous System Disorders
The autonomic nervous system regulates everything from the tension in blood vessel walls to the ability of glands to secrete hormones. Disorders of the autonomic nervous system can result in health problems related to any of the internal organs that are under its control. The National Institutes of Health explains that disorders of the autonomic nervous system can occur on their own, or as a complication of other diseases. An autonomic nervous system disorder that compromises a vital organ system, such as the cardiovascular or respiratory systems, could be fatal.
Horner syndrome is a specific example of an autonomic nervous system disorder. It is caused by damage to the sympathetic nerves of the face that regulate blood pressure and perspiration.
Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
The peripheral nervous system is comprised of motor, sensory and autonomic nerves. Disorders and diseases that affect the peripheral nerves are sometimes referred to as peripheral neuritis, or neuropathy. There are many different conditions that can disrupt the normal function of the peripheral nervous system. Viruses, such as the herpes zoster virus that causes shingles, and systemic diseases such as diabetes, can damage the peripheral nerves through a variety of mechanisms.
In cases of herpes zoster, a dormant virus reawakens and causes rash and pain by traveling along the nerve path. Diabetes results in nerve damage due to increased blood glucose levels, which cause chemical changes in the nerves, and also by compromising the supply of blood to the nerves.
Central Nervous System Disorders
Diseases that arise in the nerves of the brain and spinal cord can be referred to as central nervous system disorders.
Brain tumors are one example of a disorder of the central nervous system. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that tumors that originate in the brain and spinal cord include oligodendriomas, which grow in the layer of cells that produce the insulating myelin sheath that surrounds nerve cells, and meningiomas, which arise from the cells in the membranes that surround the central nervous system.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is another central nervous system disorder. Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, this condition results in deterioration of the nerves in the spinal cord and brain that control muscles.
