Neuropathy is a general term for diseases of the peripheral nervous system, and the peripheral nerves include all the nerves of the body after they leave the brain or spinal cord, hence the talk is about a wide network spread throughout the body.
Different nerves and their functions
The following are the most important types of nerves and their functions:
*Peripheral motor nerves that innervate muscles: They are responsible for movement.
*Sensory nerves: Responsible for transmitting sensation from the skin and internal organs to the brain.
*Autonomic nervous system: Controls internal organs, such as secretory glands and blood vessels.
The first muscles that are usually affected in neuropathy are the distal muscles, i.e. the muscles of the hands and feet, as a result of which the person finds it difficult to perform precise tasks using the hands, such as: writing, or holding some things sometimes, especially in neuropathy, which is considered a complication of an infection that may develop rapidly, severe muscle weakness, and may lead to paralysis.
Symptoms of neuropathy:
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the disorder.
1. Symptoms of sensory neuropathy
Symptoms of sensory neuropathy are the most common and annoying, including:
*The patient feels a tingling sensation that initially appears in the distant areas of the body, i.e. in the feet and hands.
*Numbness in the skin.
*A burning sensation.
*A sensation similar to walking on pins or stones while walking.
*A feeling that the skin in the extremities is tight.
*Pain is a common symptom of neuropathy, which may be sharp, dull, or burning, and can appear spontaneously or after stimulating the skin, *such as touching or walking.
*Weakness and atrophy of the muscles.
2. Symptoms of the autonomic nervous system
When the autonomic nervous system is affected, a malfunction in the function of the internal organs may appear, such as:
*Constipation.
*Diarrhea.
*Heart rhythm disturbances.
*Urinary disturbances.
*Sweating.
*Dizziness, especially when getting up from sitting or lying down.
Causes of Neuropathy
The causes and factors of neuropathy are many and a third of them are unknown, but what is known is as follows:
1. Diabetes
The most common cause in the Western world is diabetes, as it has been proven that a lack of balance in the disease leads to nerve damage, and therefore treating diabetes sometimes prevents this damage.
2. Complications of other diseases
Neuropathy can be a complication of other general diseases, such as:
*Kidney failure.
*Liver failure.
Immune disorders in the thyroid gland.
*Immune system diseases.
3. Vitamin deficiency
A deficiency in vitamins, especially vitamin B1 and vitamin B12, can also lead to the appearance of neuropathy, which is a disorder that is especially common among alcoholics.
4. Taking certain medications
Exposure to certain medications or toxic substances, such as: heavy metals such as arsenic, thallium, and lead, which are mainly found in industrial materials, can damage the surrounding nerves and lead to neuropathy.
5. Genetic factors
There are hereditary neuropathies that usually appear at an early age, but not always.
The genetic defect leads to a disturbance in the production of essential compounds in the nerve, and often the defect is in the production of one of the myelin compounds, which is the fatty sheath that covers the nerve.
6. Neuritis
Neuritis can also be the result of inflammation in the nerves.
This inflammation is often an expression of abnormal activity of the immune system, this activity may be against a direct infection in the nerves, such as: infection with the cause of leprosy, or infection with the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
7. Infection
The immune system sometimes attacks the nerves as a late complication of a general infection, such as: infection of the respiratory tract, or infection of the digestive system, after the infection has already passed.
The reason for this is the similarity between the compounds of bacteria and the compounds of nerves, so that the antibodies produced against bacteria or viruses move against similar compounds in the nerves.
A similar process also occurs in neuropathy associated with cancerous tumors, which is called preneoplastic neuropathy.
Complications of neuropathy
The risks of neuropathy include:
* Loss of sensation in wounds.
* Gangrene.
* Irregular heartbeat.
* Loss of bladder control.
* Digestive disorders.
Diagnosis of neuropathy
The disease is diagnosed based on the symptoms that appear on the patient, and the following tests are performed:
* Electromyography
Through which the performance of the peripheral nervous system and muscles is examined.
* Blood test
Through a blood test, the blood sugar level is measured, vitamin deficiency, and genetic diseases are detected.
Treatment of neuropathy
Treatment is done as follows:
1. Treating the cause of the disease
The treatment of neuropathy is directed against the cause of the disease, such as:
* Treating diabetes.
* Supplementing with vitamins.
* Avoiding exposure to drugs or substances that affect the nerves.
* Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs.
2. Treatment of neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain can be treated with several types of drugs.
It has been found that drugs developed to treat depression and epilepsy are useful in reducing neuropathic pain. There is an additional possibility, which is topical treatment with an ointment containing a hot pepper component that leads to the emptying of chemical transmitters from the nerve endings responsible for transmitting the feeling of pain.
Prevention of neuropathy:
* Avoid drinking alcohol.
* Treat vitamin deficiency.
* Eat healthy.
* Lose weight.
* Play sports regularly.
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