Consuming large amounts rapidly or regularly can cause health problems, including organ damage, coma, and death. Genetics and personal characteristics may Infections such as hepatitis C Hepatitis C, Acute Acute hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver that is caused by the hepatitis C virus and that lasts from a few weeks up to 6 months. Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood or other HIV is transmitted These spiral-shaped bacteria What causes the virus to reactive Hereditary neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a hereditary neuropathy in which the muscles of the lower legs become weak and waste away atrophy.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease affects nerves that control muscle Problems in the Vitamin B12 deficiency Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 deficiency can occur in vegans who do not take supplements or as a result of an absorption disorder. Anemia develops, causing paleness, weakness, fatigue, and, if severe, shortness Nerve fibers that control movement and sensation are damaged. People have general Other nutritional deficiencies such as thiamin deficiency Thiamin Deficiency Thiamin deficiency causing beriberi and other problems is most common among people whose diet mainly consists of white rice or highly processed carbohydrates in developing countries and among An underactive thyroid gland hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is underactivity of the thyroid gland that leads to inadequate production of thyroid hormones and a slowing of vital body functions.
Facial expressions become dull, the voice Toxic substances, including heavy metals such as arsenic, lead Lead Poisoning Some causes of lead poisoning are ingesting lead paint and eating or drinking from certain imported, improperly lead-glazed ceramics.
Very high levels of lead in the blood may cause personality Kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to adequately filter metabolic waste products from the blood. Cancer such as multiple myeloma Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in which abnormal plasma cells multiply uncontrollably in the bone marrow and occasionally in other parts of the body.
People often have bone pain Drugs, including the antiseizure drug phenytoin , some antibiotics such as chloramphenicol , nitrofurantoin , and sulfonamides , and some chemotherapy drugs such as vinblastine and vincristine.
Vitamin B6 pyridoxine is essential for the processing metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids The most common form of chronic polyneuropathy usually results from poor control of blood sugar levels in people with diabetes but may result from excessive use of alcohol.
Diabetic neuropathy refers to the several forms of polyneuropathy that diabetes can cause. Diabetes can also cause mononeuropathy Mononeuropathy Mononeuropathy is damage to a single peripheral nerve. Pressure on a nerve for a long time is the most common cause of mononeuropathy. The affected area may tingle, feel prickly, or be numb It causes abnormal sensations and weakness. See also Overview of the Some people have a hereditary form of polyneuropathy Hereditary Neuropathies Hereditary neuropathies affect the peripheral nerves, causing subtle symptoms that worsen gradually.
See also Overview of the Peripheral Nervous System. Hereditary neuropathies may affect Myelin sheath Insulating a Nerve Fiber Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder affects mainly the nerves in the eyes and spinal cord, causing patches of myelin the substance that covers most nerve fibers and the nerve fibers under The blood supply to the nerve, as can occur in vasculitis Overview of Vasculitis Vasculitic disorders are caused by inflammation of the blood vessels vasculitis.
Vasculitis can be triggered by certain infections or drugs or can occur for unknown reasons. People may have Axon Typical Structure of a Nerve Cell The peripheral nervous system refers to the parts of the nervous system that are outside the central nervous system, that is, those outside the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of polyneuropathy may appear suddenly acute, occurring over a few days to a couple of weeks or develop slowly and occur over a period of time chronic, occurring over months to years depending on the cause.
Symptoms include weakness and a pins-and-needles sensation or loss of sensation. The muscles that control breathing may be affected, resulting in respiratory failure. Many chronic polyneuropathies affect sensation primarily. Usually, the feet are affected first, but sometimes the hands are. A pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, burning pain, and loss of vibration sense and position sense knowing where the arms and legs are are prominent symptoms. Because position sense is lost, walking and even standing become unsteady.
Consequently, muscles may not be used. Eventually, they may weaken and waste away. Then, muscles may become stiff and permanently shortened called contractures.
Exercise can deliver more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to far-off nerve endings, improve muscle strength, and limit muscle atrophy. Self-care skills in people with diabetes and others who have an impaired ability to feel pain can alleviate symptoms and often create conditions that encourage nerve regeneration. Strict control of blood glucose levels has been shown to reduce neuropathic symptoms and help people with diabetic neuropathy avoid further nerve damage.
Inflammatory and autoimmune conditions leading to neuropathy can be controlled using immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone, cyclosporine, or azathioprine. Plasmapheresis—a procedure in which blood is removed, cleansed of immune system cells and antibodies, and then returned to the body—can help reduce inflammation or suppress immune system activity. Agents such as rituximab that target specific inflammatory cells, large intravenously administered doses of immunoglobulins, and antibodies that alter the immune system, also can suppress abnormal immune system activity.
Medications recommended for chronic neuropathic pain are also used for other medical conditions. Among the most effective are a class of drugs first marketed to treat depression. Another class of medications that quiets nerve cell electrical signaling is also used for epilepsy.
Common drugs include gabapentin, pregabalin, and less often topiramate and lamotrigine. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are particularly effective for trigeminal neuralgia, a focal neuropathy of the face. Local anesthetics and related drugs that block nerve conduction may help when other medications are ineffective or poorly tolerated. Medications put on the skin topically administered are generally appealing because they stay near the skin and have fewer unwanted side effects.
Lidocaine patches or creams applied to the skin can be helpful for small painful areas, such as localized chronic pain from mononeuropathies such as shingles. Another topical cream is capsaicin, a substance found in hot peppers that can desensitize peripheral pain nerve endings. Doctor-applied patches that contain higher concentrations of capsaicin offer longer term relief from neuropathic pain and itching, but they worsen small-fiber nerve damage.
Weak over-the-counter formulations also are available. Lidocaine or longer acting bupivicaine are sometimes given using implanted pumps that deliver tiny quantities to the fluid that bathes the spinal cord, where they can quiet excess firing of pain cells without affecting the rest of the body. Other drugs treat chronic painful neuropathies by calming excess signaling. Because pain relievers that contain opioids can lead to dependence and addiction, their use must be closely monitored by a physician.
One of the newest drugs approved for treating diabetic neuropathy is tapentadol, which has both opioid activity and norepinephrine-reuptake inhibition activity of an antidepressant.
Surgery is the recommended treatment for some types of neuropathies. Trigeminal neuralgia on the face is also often treated with neurosurgical decompression. Injuries to a single nerve mononeuropathy caused by compression, entrapment, or rarely tumors or infections may require surgery to release the nerve compression. Polyneuropathies that involve more diffuse nerve damage, such as diabetic neuropathy, are not helped by surgical intervention. More sophisticated and less damaging procedures such as electrically stimulating remaining peripheral nerve fibers or pain-processing areas of the spinal cord or brain have largely replaced these surgeries.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS is a noninvasive intervention used for pain relief in a range of conditions. TENS involves attaching electrodes to the skin at the site of pain or near associated nerves and then administering a gentle electrical current. Although data from controlled clinical trials are not available to broadly establish its efficacy for peripheral neuropathies, in some studies TENS has been shown to improve neuropathic symptoms associated with diabetes.
The best treatment is prevention, and strategies for reducing injuries are highly effective and well tested. Since medical procedures ranging from casting fractures to injuries from needles and surgery are another cause, unnecessary procedures should be avoided.
The new adjuvanted vaccine against shingles prevents more than 95 percent of cases and is widely recommended for people over 50, including those who have had previous shingles or vaccination with the older, less effective vaccine. Diabetes and some other diseases are common preventable causes of neuropathy.
People with neuropathy should ask their doctors to minimize use of medications that are known to cause or worsen neuropathy where alternatives exist. Some families with very severe genetic neuropathies use in vitro fertilization to prevent transmission to future generations. The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke NINDS is to seek knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
NINDS-funded research ranges from clinical studies of the genetics and the natural history of hereditary neuropathies to discoveries of new cause and treatments for neuropathy, to basic science investigations of the biological mechanisms responsible for chronic neuropathic pain. Together, these diverse research areas will advance the development of new therapeutic and preventive strategies for peripheral neuropathies.
Understanding the causes of neuropathy provides the foundation for finding effective prevention and treatment strategies. Genetic mutations have been identified in more than 80 distinct hereditary neuropathies. Demyelination is damage to the myelin layer, or the protective coating of nerve cells. This can lead to neurological problems, including slow reflexes. When a person has diabetes, their body does not manage blood sugar correctly, leading to high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. This can result in….
What to know about polyneuropathy Medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M. Types Causes and risk factors Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prevention and outlook When to see a doctor Polyneuropathy is when multiple peripheral nerves become damaged, which is also commonly called peripheral neuropathy.
Share on Pinterest Neuropathy is a problem with the nerves. This can arise from numerous underlying conditions. Causes and risk factors. Share on Pinterest Polyneuropathy can cause shooting or burning pains in the limbs. Share on Pinterest Coordination issues and difficulties with movement are common symptoms of polyneuropathy. This may lead to further injuries. Share on Pinterest Chiropractors can help treat the symptoms of polyneuropathy. Prevention and outlook. When to see a doctor. Medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M.
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What to know about CIDP. Medically reviewed by Bobbie Sue Whitworth, Ph. What to know about diabetic neuropathy. Medically reviewed by Maria S.
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