Neuropathy – Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
The central nervous system in the human body virtually controls the major and minor functions within the body, and even if one nerve gets damaged, it can result in a condition requiring intervention and treatment. Nerves are broadly categorized into three types based on their functions:
Sensory nerves – They transmit the sensation you feel, like pain or heat and so on.
Motor nerves – They are responsible for carrying messages to and from the brain to ensure that the different limbs in the body are making the desired movements.
Autonomic nerves – They serve the vital role of ensuring some of the key parameters in the body function normally. These include blood pressure and heartbeat, etc.
A majority of cases reported damage to one or more of these nerves, and the condition is termed neuropathy or more commonly peripheral neuropathy. A neuropathy treatment tries to address the cause of the damage to the nerve, and by treating that cause, the solution to neuropathy is found.
A neurologist is a right specialist to examine the affected person, order the tests and based on the diagnostic reports, recommend the treatment.
Causes of neuropathy
Many underlying causes result in damaged nerve condition. Some of the frequently observed causes are:
- Diabetes : If blood sugar levels shoot up, or if the blood sugar level is not properly controlled, it can lead to a situation where sufficient blood does not reach the nerve ends, resulting in them becoming weak.
- Excessive alcohol intake : This is also one of the major reasons detected and in most cases even before the neuropathy treatment is started, the affected person is advised to stay away from alcohol to prevent any further damage to the nerves.
- After effects of drugs : Prolonged usage of certain drugs to treat other conditions or medication used in chemotherapy, etc. can also lead to damage to nerves.
- Certain chronic illnesses : If a person is already suffering from some chronic ailments like cancer or a kidney or liver problem, then the entire body system may turn weak, thereby leading to the nerves becoming weak and susceptible to break-downs.
- Unknown causes : This is a category called idiopathic neuropathy. It is proven that a third of neuropathy cases reported are due to unknown causes.
Symptoms of neuropathy
Different types of neuropathy described earlier can show different symptoms. Some symptoms can be contradictory as well; feeling excessive pain or not feeling any pain at all even when pinched or numbness to heat and cold touches can also be symptomatic of the nerve ends being non-functional. As such, neuropathy treatment should be immediately resorted to. In the case of motor neuropathy, the condition may show up in terms of the muscles going weak, and the person may find it difficult to perform even minor tasks.
Diagnosis of neuropathy
As mentioned, the neurologist should be approached, and he or she would first take a thorough look at the patient and conduct a physical examination after going through the case history and records, if available. In terms of tests, blood and urine tests may be advised to make sure of the blood sugar levels and if diabetes is the underlying cause. The questioning by the doctor will reveal if the person is in the habit of drinking. But above all these, the best diagnosis before neuropathy treatment is started through electromyogram (EGM). This test will give a doctor the desired confirmation on the exact condition of the nerves, and the neurologist can immediately start the treatment.
Treatment for neuropathy
The detection of symptoms and diagnosis of the condition helps in providing an effective neuropathy treatment. When you go back to the above causes, if drinking is the reason, stopping alcohol intake immediately will arrest further damage to the nerves. If it is diabetes, regular control of blood sugar will restore the nerves to their previous condition. Similarly, if lack of vitamins caused the nerves to go weak, taking the deficient vitamins in sufficient quantities as advised by the doctor will improve the condition. The earlier the condition is detected, the more effective the neuropathy treatment will prove to be.
Physiotherapy and surgery
In many cases, the doctor may advise certain exercises under physical therapy to restore the strength in the nerves and the muscles. Where the diagnosis reveals excessive damage to the nerves, the medical team may suggest recourse to surgery also. In particular, injury-induced nerve damages may warrant surgery. If the person is unable to move, mobility assistance in the form of a wheelchair or a walker might also be needed as part of the overall neuropathy treatment solutions. Wherever the patients complain of pain, suitable painkillers are prescribed.
Nerves run throughout the human body, and they are quite sensitive. The nerve ends can become weak due to some known and unknown causes, thereby leading to neuropathy. Once properly diagnosed, the condition can be effectively treated through an array of remedies. An effective neuropathy treatment may include more than one type of remedy and some instructions on after-care.
