Peripheral neuropathy occurs when there is a problem in the peripheral nerves. The nerves would be sending messages from the central nervous system, the brain and the spinal cord to the remaining parts of the body. The peripheral nerves are responsible for letting the body know what sensation to feel. It, for example, alarms the hands when to feel cold.
Peripheral neuropathy could sometimes cause a tingling or prickling sensation, numbness, and muscle weakness in several parts of our body. Peripheral neuropathy can also leave an impact on a number of different nerves. This means it can affect a variety of locations in various ways. It can also affect a single nerve or several nerves simultaneously.
Peripheral neuropathy is also linked with several underlying medical conditions. There are also many cases where the cause remains unidentifiable. It is known to exist in around 20 million people living in the United States (U.S.). This is an indeed staggering amount. In this article, we will be talking about the important points involving peripheral neuropathy.
Neuropathy is a complication that affects an alarming number of different medical conditions. It includes the autonomic nerves, the motor nerves, and the sensory nerves. It is known to have an impact on a single nerve or nerve set, like in Bell's Palsy affecting the facial nerve. Physical trauma, repetitive injury, infection, metabolic problems, and exposure to toxins and some drugs are some known causes. Diabetic people are also on a high risk to be affected by neuropathy.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one good example when we are talking about a mononeuropathy. This only affects a single nerve. Treatment is used so as to uncover the underlying issue or cause that may affect the person. Treatment also has a goal to offer symptomatic pain relief and prevent any further damage that the person could face in the future.
When we talk about a person who is affected by diabetic neuropathy, taking care of the high blood sugars can prevent further nerve damage. It is proven to be quite helpful in the process of dialing down the issues. For toxic causes, hiding away the affected areas from the exposure to a suspected toxin, or getting rid of a drug, can halt impending nerve damage.
Medications can indeed reduce the pain and calm the burning, numbness, and tingling.
Drug treatment for neuropathic pain may include:
-drugs normally used for epilepsy, such as carbamazepine
-antidepressants, such as venlafaxine
-opioid painkillers, for example, oxycodone or tramadol
-Opioid painkillers come with warnings about safety risks
-Duloxetine may help people with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy
Doctors have also made use of skin patches, like Lidoderm, for temporary, easy pain relief which contains the anesthetic lidocaine. These bandage like patches can be cut into different sizes. There should be cautious about the drug used to avoid further resulting in other complications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) namely ibuprofen helps to relieve pain. Topical ointments and creams like capsaicin 0.075 percent cream which has chili pepper, also controls the pain.
If neuropathy a result of the compression of a single nerve, treatment is similar no matter what nerve it may be. Treatment is based on whether the compression is fixed or transient. A palsy of the ulnar, radial or peroneal nerve could be transient and reversible just by deflecting the nerve compression. For instance, a person with ulnar nerve palsy must never rely on the affected elbow. Heat and a drug course could be of much help. In carpal tunnel syndrome, conservative therapy involves ultrasound, wrist splinting, oral or injected corticosteroid drugs, etc.
If a single-nerve neuropathy does not heal up using these options, then, surgery is the next option. When the nerve compression is fixed, surgery needs to be done, like in case of a tumor. Consultation of doctors is advised during any stage if: pain is intense, pain, by all means, obstructs daily activities and an easy life, an underlying health condition is worsening.
The different kinds of neuropathy show different symptoms.
For sensory neuropathy the affected person may have:
tingling and numbness
pins and needles and hypersensitivity
increased pain or inability to feel pain
loss of ability to detect changes in heat and cold
loss of coordination and proprioception
burning, stabbing, lancing, boring, or shooting pains
foot and leg ulcers, infection, and gangrene.
This is known to affect the muscles and the symptoms are:
muscle weakness, leading to unsteadiness and difficulty performing small movements, such as buttoning a shirt.
muscle wasting
muscle twitching and cramps
muscle paralysis
If the autonomic nerves are facing impact, it would cause sensations like sweating, heat intolerance, bowel or bladder problems, and blood pressure instability causing dizziness.
Most of the neuropathy kinds have been proven to be "idiopathic," or be a case of an undiscovered cause. There have been quite a number of conditions that could lead to it. Diabetes is one of the most commonly known causes of chronic peripheral neuropathy. It usually occurs when high blood sugar levels start damaging the nerves.
Other medical conditions and injuries that are common causes would be: Chronic kidney disease where kidneys cannot function normally, salts and chemical imbalance can result in peripheral neuropathy. Injuries such as broken bones and tight plaster casts that leave a pressure directly on the nerves are also one cause. Also, infections like shingles, HIV infection, Lyme disease, and others result in nerve damage. Guillain-Barré syndrome: a particular type of peripheral neuropathy and other autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) causes neuropathy. Too much alcohol intake, some drugs, for example, chemotherapy and HIV treatment, B12 or folate vitamin deficiencies, poisons, such as insecticides and solvents, some kinds of cancer, including lymphoma and multiple myeloma, a chronic liver disease can also cause it.
Disorders occurring in the small blood vessels can lead to a reduction in the blood supply to the nerves which may cause a nerve tissue damage. Neuromas and benign tumors can result in neuropathic pain. Diabetic neuropathy the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes. About 60 to 70 percent of people who have diabetes are affected to some extent by neuropathy. High blood sugar levels disrupt the walls of the tiny blood vessels responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the nerves to the hands and feet, and the essential organs including the eyes, kidneys, and heart.
In the end, not only is the skin affected and damaged, there is a loss of sensation which goes on to increase the risk of further damage. In the United States, there is proof that diabetic neuropathy is the number one cause of foot problems and ulcers in diabetic citizens. Just about half of the people having diabetes are known to have diabetic neuropathy.
The nervous system is indeed a complicated interlinking where communications between all the nerves take place. Peripheral neuropathy particularly involves a malfunctioning in the peripheral nerves. There are more than 100 kinds of neuropathy showing unique causes and symptoms. Neuropathy is known to affect the sensory nerves, the motor nerves, and the autonomic nerves.
Mononeuropathy affects just one nerve. In polyneuropathy, there are multiple nerves being affected. Neuropathy would mean postherpetic neuralgia that sometimes leads to shingles. Sensory neuropathy can occur for many months even if rash disappears, ulnar nerve palsy caused by elbow carpel tunnel syndrome is a compression of the nerves in one's wrist. Peroneal nerve palsy is due to compression of a nerve in the leg. Bell's palsy is known to affect the face.
Non-drug measures can be making use of hot or cold pack to lessen the pain. One can put on fabrics that will not cause irritations like cotton. Not exposing the sensitive areas with a plastic wound dressing or cling film with warm or cold packs attached can also be of help. Stress-relief and some other therapies may be relaxation techniques, massage, meditation, and acupuncture.
Many people affected by neuropathy have stated that the used of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine can be of help. This device stops the nerve messages by the process of delivering a small electric current. However, the effectiveness has not yet been confirmed by the researchers. Any supplements must always be approved by a doctor.
The outlook for peripheral neuropathy may change from person to person. It really depends on the underlying problems and the kinds or number of nerves that have been damaged. While a few incidents may gradually get better in time by treating the underlying cause, some others face a permanent damage that slowly gets worse as time goes by.