Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy refers to nerve injury induced by a variety of disorders. Peripheral neuropathy can result from the following health conditions:

• Autoimmune disorders. These include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and vasculitis. Polyneuropathy can also be caused by certain malignancies that affect the immune system. This is a type of autoimmune illness known as paraneoplastic syndrome.
• Diabetes and Metabolic syndrome. This is the most typical cause. More than half of diabetics get neuropathy.
• Infections. These include viral or bacterial illnesses like Lyme disease, shingles, hepatitis B and C, leprosy, diphtheria, and HIV.
• Disorders that can be inherited. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a kind of genetic neuropathy that runs in families.
• Tumors. Cancerous growths, also known as malignant, and noncancerous growths, also known as benign, can form on or press against nerves.
• Bone marrow diseases. These include monoclonal gammopathies, a type of myeloma that affects the bones, lymphoma, and the rare disease amyloidosis.
• Other illnesses. These include metabolic diseases like kidney or liver illness, as well as hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid.

In some cases, no cause can be identified. This is called idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.

Every neuron in the peripheral system has a distinct purpose. Symptoms vary depending on the type of nerve involved. Nerves are separated into:

• Sensory nerves receive sensations from the skin, such as temperature, discomfort, vibration, and touch.
• Motor neurons govern muscular movement.
• Autonomic nerves regulate processes such as blood pressure, perspiration, heart rate, digestion, and bladder function.

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include:

• Numbness, prickling, or tingling in the feet or hands develops gradually. These feelings might travel up into your legs and arms.
• Sharp, stabbing, throbbing, or searing pain.
• Extremely sensitive to touch.
• discomfort during actions that should not cause discomfort, such as putting weight on your feet or wrapping them in a blanket.
• Falls are caused by a lack of coordination.
• Muscular weakness.
• When you're not wearing gloves or socks, it feels like you are.
• Inability to move if motor nerves are compromised.

If autonomic nerves are damaged, symptoms may include:

• Heat sensitivity.
• Excessive sweating or inability to sweat.
• Bowel, bladder, or digestive issues.
• Drops in blood pressure can cause dizziness or lightheadedness.

Peripheral neuropathy can afflict a single nerve, known as mononeuropathy. Multiple mononeuropathy occurs when it affects two or more nerves in distinct places, whereas polyneuropathy occurs when it affects a large number of nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a kind of mononeuropathy. The majority of persons with peripheral neuropathy have polyneuropathy.

Seek medical care right away if you notice unusual tingling, weakness, or pain in your hands or feet. Early diagnosis and treatment give you the best chance for controlling your symptoms and preventing further damage to your peripheral nerves.

The best method to avoid peripheral neuropathy is to address any medical issues that put you at risk.

Make healthy lifestyle decisions.
These practices promote nerve health:

• To keep your nerves healthy, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, complete grains, and lean protein. Consuming meats, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products, and fortified cereals can help prevent vitamin B-12 deficiency. If you're vegetarian or vegan, fortified cereals are a decent source of vitamin B-12, but see your doctor about B-12 supplements.
• Exercise frequently. With the approval of your doctor, attempt to exercise for at least 30 minutes to an hour three times each week.
• Avoid factors that might cause nerve injury. These variables can include repetitive actions, exposure to harmful substances, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption.

The goal of treatment is to control the underlying illness that causes the neuropathy and alleviate symptoms.

Medications

Medications can be used to address diseases related to peripheral neuropathy.

• Pain relievers (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications)
• Anticonvulsants. Gabapentin and pregabalin, which were created to treat epilepsy, can also reduce nerve pain. Drowsiness and dizziness are possible side effects.
• Topical therapy. For example, lidocaine cream. Another type of pain relief drug is lidocaine patches, which are administered to the skin.
• Antidepressants. Certain tricyclic antidepressants, including amitriptyline and nortriptyline, can assist alleviate pain.
• Duloxetine, a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, as well as the long-acting antidepressants venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine, can reduce discomfort caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Other therapies

Several treatments and procedures can alleviate the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

• Scrambler treatment. This treatment uses electrical impulses to convey non-painful information to the brain. These messages substitute the pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. The idea is to retrain the brain to believe there is no pain.
• Physical treatment. If you have muscle weakness or balance issues, physical therapy might help you move better.
• Magnetic stimulation of the peripheral nervous system. Magnetic waves stimulate the peripheral nervous system, improving conduction and excitability in nerves, nodes, and plexuses.
• Surgical intervention. Neuropathies induced by nerve pressure, such as from tumors, may necessitate surgery.