Peripheral neuropathy is a term which describes damage to one or more of your peripheral nerves. The damage means that the messages that travel between your central and peripheral nervous system are disrupted. There are many different conditions that can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Diabetes is known as the major cause of persistent peripheral neuropathy. The symptoms and the cause of peripheral neuropathy depend on which types of peripheral nerves are damaged. Neuropathy can affect any one, both the young and the old. However, people suffering from diabetes and other infections have a high possibility of being affected with this disease. The aims of treatment for peripheral neuropathy are to treat any underlying cause, to control your symptoms and to help you to achieve maximum independence. There are more than a hundred types of peripheral neuropathy disorder that has been identified in different patients, each revealing different kind of symptoms from the other as well as pattern of development. Impaired function of nerves depend on the kind of damaged that the immune is suffering from. Some victims may experience numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitive touch and weakness of the muscles. What causes this disease? Peripheral neuropathy can be attracted in two different ways, either through inheritance or caused by other infection. Other disorders that can cause this disease include tumors, excessive toxins in the body, negative responses caused by the immune system, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, excessive consumption of alcohol and metabolic disorders. Peripheral neuropathy is categorized into three groups. This classification is determined by the cause of the disease, which makes it easy for doctors ... ... middle of paper ... ... for this disorder depends on the cause of problem. It is also advisable for one to go for tests before applying any type of treatment. People diagnosed with diabetes are advised to seek treatment for any type of ailment that may interfere with the nervous system. This makes it easy to cure peripheral neuropathy since other infections will have been eradicated before treating this disorder. These tests are also conducted to conclude the right medication for patients, who are suffering from this nerve damage. Another factor that you should note is that, the kind of treatment being applied to victims also depends on the age of the victims since young adults and children cannot be diagnosed with the same medication. Some cases of peripheral neuropathy can be treated, while others cannot be treated especially if the victim inherited the disorder from a family member.
Peripheral and central mechanisms involving nerve lesions and their input are substantial when perceiving phantom pain. Due to the impairment of peripheral nerves in the process of amputation, regenerative sprouting of damaged axons occurs and the activity rate of inflamed C-fibres and demyelinated A-fibres spontaneously increases (Flor, 2002). As a consequence of this nerve injury, a neuroma, which is a mass of pruned and tangled axons, may form in the residual limb producing abnormal (ectopic) activity (Katz, 1992). Flor, Nikolajsen and Jenson (2006) proposed that ectopic discharge from a neuroma in the stump illustrates abnormal afferent input to the spinal cord, which is a possible mechanism for unpro...
MS causes a degeneration of the myelin around axons due to the killing off of oligodendrocytes, which are cells that make up the myelin sheath of an axon; losing myelin decreases the neuron’s ability to propagate an action potential. Since this disease affects the central nervous system, MS can cause dysfunction of both the sensory and the motor aspects of the body. Some common sensory complaints(Lundy-Ekman, 2007) of MS are tingling, numbness, and/or paresthesia in the affected area, which is variable but typically involves one or more limbs (Palace, 2001), as well as partial blindness in one eye, a decrease in vision acuity, and double vision. Lhermitte’s sign, which is a radiating shock that travels down the back or limbs, is another common characteristic of MS that aff...
... affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and migrating towards the trunk, limbs and the head, is the most common symptom, and some subtypes cause change in sensation or pain, as well as dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. It can cause life-threatening complications, in particular if the respiratory muscles are affected or if the autonomic nervous system is involved. The disease is usually triggered by an infection. The diagnosis is usually made by nerve conduction studies and with studies of the cerebrospinal fluid. With prompt treatment by intravenous immunoglobulin’s or plasmapheresis, together with supportive care, the majority will recover completely. Guillain Barré syndrome is rare, at one to two cases per 100,000 people annually, but is the most common cause of acute non-trauma-related paralysis.
Peripheral neuropathy is a serious condition that can be fixed in multiple ways. If an individual is having trouble and experiencing more than one of the symptoms such as pain or muscle weakness, he or she should make a visit to see their doctor and discuss the possible reasoning behind it. A doctor knows best and can prescribe the necessary medications or treatments to help the patient feel better and hopefully stop the patient from having paralysis. There are ways to prevent this condition and they should be taken into consideration.
Yang, Zhirong., Yuan, Zhang., Chen, Ru., Huang, Y., Ji, L., Sun, F., Hong, T., Zhan, S. (2014). Sample Tests to Screen for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy. The Cochrane Library: DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010975. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010975/abstract
Type 1. This type occurs after an injury or trauma with no known damage to a nerve.
The body’s inflammatory process is facilitated by T-cell and B-cell responses to autoantigens within the CNS. The inflammatory process that happens within the CNS causes declining changes in the brain. Some changes include the axonal loss and immobilizing neurological damages. The remaining damage that transpires is irreversible and permanent in the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms of MS depend on the type and the severity of the disease. If the type and severity of the disease is severe then the symptoms will be more extreme. Some of the more common symptoms that are experienced include sensory symptoms; like numbness, tingling or pain, fatigue, visual disturbances, elimination problems like frequency or urgency and depression. There are many methods to diagnosing MS. There has been an increase in treatment options available and they are continuously testing new drugs yearly.
Peripheral artery disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis, which is when fatty deposits accumulate in the arteries of, most likely, limbs. This does affect all arteries throughout the body, then in turn, slowing the blood flow. PAD may also be due to inflammation of the blood vessels, injury to the extremities, or even exposure to radiation. “Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects approximately 10% of the American population” (Gurbir Dhaliwal; Peripheral arterial disease: Epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis and treatment; 2007). If not taken care of, PAD may lead to critical limb ischemia, open sores on the feet or legs that become infected by gangrene. The gangrene is then removed surgically, but doctors might have to amputate the extremity all together. Another issue that arises with PAD if it is not under control is the risk of stroke or heart attack. These can cause death to part of the heart or brain, or even death itself. The population more at risk would be smokers, diabetics, people who are obese, those with hypertension or hyperlipidemia, over the age of 50, have a family history of PAD, or those with a high level of homocysteine. If someone does fall into a few of these categories a physician can do a few tests to check for PAD. The doctor will more than likely start off with a physical exam, blood test, and possibly an ultrasound. From there the physician may try an ankle-brachial index, or ABI, which compares the blood pressure of the feet to the blood pressure of the arm. “An American survey of 2174 patients older than 40 years of age used the ankle-brachial index (ABI) as a screening tool, and showed a PAD prevalence of 0.9% between the ages of 40 and 49 years, 2.5% between the ages of 50 and 59 years, ...
PD is separated into stages according to the symptoms and degree of disability Stage 1 is mild disease with unilateral limb involvement. Whereas the patient with stage 5 disease is completely dependent in all ADLs. Other classification refer simply to mild, moderate, and ...
Parkinson's Disease has caused problems for many people in this world and plagued the elderly all over the world.Parkinson's disease still puzzles doctors and the causes are unknown. It is known that it is a non-communicable disease and may even be hereditary. Parkinson's disease is thought to be caused by external factors. Most of the cases of this disease are caused by progressive deterioration of the nerve cells, which control muscle movement. Dopamine, one of the substances used in the brain to transmit impulses, is produced in the area of deterioration.
Charcot Marie Tooth disease encompasses a group of inherited disorders that affect motor and sensory peripheral nerves. It is a type of neuropathy characterized by damage to myelin sheaths and nerve axon structure that results in impaired ability of the peripheral nervous system to send signals or relay sensory information. CMT typically presents with distal predominance of limb-muscle wasting, weakness, and sensory loss , . Symptoms start in the feet, which commonly have high arches, hammer toes, intrinsic muscle weakness, and wasting. The disease then begins to affect the legs and the lower thighs, which results in distal atrophy of the lower limbs. The hands become affected, followed by the forearms. Sensory loss also
The syndrome was named after Georges Guillain and Jean Alexandre Barre in 1916, Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disease, activated by an infection, or surgery that causes the immune system to attack the lower motor neurons in the peripheral nervous system, but will gradually work its way distally to more proximal. “This syndrome can affect people in any age group and occurs in 1 in 100,000 of the population.” (Lescher, 2011).
The most common type is Peripheral Neuropathy. It is also referred to as distal symmetric neuropathy or sensorimotor neuropathy. In this type, the legs, feet, toes, arms, and hands experience pain and loss of sensation. Typically, the lower extremities are involved before the upper extremities and a loss of reflexes is common. It is with this type of neuropathy that ulcers, wounds, infections, and in severe cases, amputation is most common (Dyck, Feldmen, & Vinick).
If you notice any sores, cuts or blisters that do not heal, consult with your physician. Because diabetes can cause nerve damage or decrease blood flow to the feet, what seems to be minor issues can become serious infections and perhaps even lead to amputation.
The nervous system plays a major role in co-ordinating and controlling the body’s activities. It is made up of billions of nerve cells. These cells are linked to form a massive communications network. Nerve cells carry messages in the form of electrical impulses. These impulses are carried at high speed around the body to keep it safe and functioning normally. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease which progressively injures the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. Injury to the nerves in multiple sclerosis may be reflected by alterations of virtually any sensory or motor (muscular) function in the body.