The harmful effects of diabetes have been a common feature of newspapers and medical journals throughout the world for many years. One complication of diabetes, neuropathy, is particularly nasty. Neuropathy is a condition that in some cases cannot be cured, and it is something that everybody should know about. It is surprising how little people actually know about this condition, even those who suffer from diabetes. Neuropathy can be treated in some cases, and as mentioned a moment ago, in some cases it cannot. What is important is noticing it and catching it early.
This page will hope to tell you everything that you should know about neuropathy. Neuropathy can change lives and ruin them irrevocably. With the help of this page, you will be able to delve a little deeper and begin to truly understand what neuropathy is and how it is caused. Here is what everyone should know about neuropathy.
Neuropathy: What is It?
Neuropathy is damage to your nerves. It typically leads to muscle weakness, pain, inflammation, tingling, and numbness. Neuropathy most often occurs [or starts] in your hands and feet, then gradually affects other areas of your body. Rather, we will just discuss what neuropathy is, and how it can affect you. Moving on, neuropathy, also known as peripheral neuropathy, is indicative of a problem within your peripheral nervous system, which is a network of nerves located outside your brain and spinal cord. Your brain and spinal cord make up the more well-known central nervous system. Your central nervous system and peripheral nervous system work together in unison to control your body. Your central nervous system is the control room, and the peripheral nervous system channels information signals around your body, to and from the central nervous system.
Neuropathy occurs when nerve cells, known as neurons, become damaged and destroyed. This disrupts the way that your peripheral nervous system communicates with your central nervous system. Neuropathy can affect a single nerve [mononeuropathy], or it can affect a combination of nerves in one area [multifocal neuropathy], or more severely, it can affect many different peripheral nerves through the body [polyneuropathy]. All of these can have a damaging effect on your life, but some are more easily treated than others.
Can Neuropathy Be Treated?
Treatment for neuropathy is subjective to its cause and severity. If you have been suffering from neuropathic conditions but have sought no treatment, then according to this neuropathy relief guide, you should seek treatment in combination with the prescription medication offered by your doctor. There are many supplements and alternative medicines you can use to combat neuropathy. You can still live a long, happy life while suffering from neuropathy. Some common treatments you may undergo in addition to supplements and alternative medicines are as follows:
- Physiotherapy;
- Surgery;
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation;
- Plasma exchange;
- Intravenous immune globin.
How Does Neuropathy Feel?
Neuropathy, as those who have it will already know, most often manifests as feelings and sensations of tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in areas of the body that have been affected. It is also common to experience sharp pains, lightning-like pains, and burning, throbbing, or stabbing. It is clear to see that neuropathy is very uncomfortable and can seriously debilitate and ruin the quality of people’s lives, which is why treatment is so essential. If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms then it may be worth you contacting a G.P. just to be on the safe side.
Who Gets Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a very common affliction, estimated to affect up to thirty percent of Americans. The condition is indiscriminate, however, and can affect people of all ages, though it is more typically seen in older adults. One of the main contributing factors to neuropathy is diabetes, metabolic syndrome [high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity], and extreme alcohol consumption. Those who work in some sectors and professions wherein they make repetitive motions [typing on a keyboard, sawing with a saw], are more likely to develop mononeuropathies than those who do not. These occur from trauma or compressions of their nerves.
Development
Neuropathy may develop slowly, or it may develop fast. There are over a hundred known types of neuropathies, with each affecting people and developing differently from another. The way in which your neuropathy progresses and develops, and how quickly it manifests itself, varies entirely on the type of nerve, or the nerves that have been damaged, as well as the underlying and root cause of the neuropathy itself. Neuropathy is not caused by a singular disease, and there are many things that can lead to its manifestation, with the most common being previously mentioned in the paragraph above.
Now, with the help of this page, you know all that it is for you to know about neuropathy and how it is caused. Neuropathy is a condition that can ruin the quality of your life, so it is important to address it fast. Hopefully, it is something you never experience, nor your loved ones.
