Do you ever feel an unexplainable tickling pain and numbness in your hands or feet most of the time? Then perhaps you have peripheral neuropathy.
This is a collection of disorders that usually happens when the nerves of the peripheral nervous system is damaged. The peripheral nervous system is the part of the nervous system that’s outside the brain and the spinal cord. Although it’s caused by traumatic injuries, infections and exposure to toxins such as too much alcoholism, the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is actually diabetes.
Neuropathy usually affects the motor nerves, those nerves that control muscle movement and also the sensory nerves which are responsible for detecting different body sensations like coldness or pain. In some cases of neuropathy, however, it also tends to affect internal organs including the heart, bladder and intestines.
The most common people who get neuropathy are people who suffer from diabetes, especially those who do not control their blood sugar levels. There are also cases wherein people who have autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis have the risk of developing neuropathy. And there are also instances wherein people who abuse alcohol or have vitamin B deficiencies are put into the danger of developing neuropathy.
The type of symptom that you might experience when you have peripheral neuropathy greatly depends on the nerves that are affected and also on the origin of the disease. But in general, the symptoms of neuropathy start with lack of sensation, prickling in the toes or fingers and then eventually continue to extend to the hands and feet. When this happens, burning sensations as well as severe pain starts to be felt especially during night time. The usual pain that people who have neuropathy is more often described as a tingling or burning sensation usually at the hands and feet. Other symptoms of neuropathy include excessive sensitivity to pain, muscle weakness, loss of balance, high or low blood pressure, lack of sleep because of pain, and also excessive sweating.
If on the other hand, you’re experiencing neuropathy due to alcohol abuse, symptoms might include sharp pains and loss of urinary control. There are also a possibility for you to experience nausea, constipation and inability to tolerate normal body heat. Aside from that, you can also experience drooping eyelids, unstable tone of voice and difficulty in swallowing.
Neuropathy need not hinder you from doing things that you normally do. Don’t let it stop you from doing the most out of your life. Consult a physician now to know more about peripheral neuropathy as well as about other types of it.