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Neuropathy |
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Neuropathy is the nervous disorder of the peripheral nervous system. If you want to know all about neuropathy just keep reading.
Causes of neuropathy: Neuropathy can be caused due to various reasons. One of the most common causes of neuropathy is diabetes. People suffering for long time from diabetes mellitus often suffer from diabetic neuropathy. Some of the common clinical manifestions of diabetic neuropathy include numbness in the legs and hands, tingling sensation of the extremities, change in vision, impotense, diarrhea, decreased sensation in the different body parts, drooping of the eyelid often associated with mouth and facial drooping.
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Erectile dysfunction is also a common symptom of diabetic neuropathy in male. Anorgasmia, impairment of speech, difficulty in swallowing, dizziness and muscle weakness are also common clinical manifestions of diabetic neuropathy.
Many patients also develop neuropathy after being infected by HIV-AIDS and herpes zoster virus. Various neurotoxins or acute trauma following a surgery may also lead to neuropathy. Chronic alcoholism, autoimmune disease like celiac disease and chronic trauma from repetitive motion disorders often lead to neuropathic condition in many patients. Neuropathy can also develop in cancer patients when the tumor suppresses any peripheral nerves or as a side effect of chemotherapeutic treatment. Electrical injury can also cause neuropathy. However sometimes, neuropathy is simple idiopathic i.e., the cause is unknown.
Types of neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy, often referred as neuropathy includes four types of nervous disorder:
- mononeuropathy
- polyneuropathy
- autonomic neuropathy
- mononeuritis multiplex
Symptoms of neuropathy: Numbness and tingling sensation of the extremities are the typical symptoms of neuropathy. Dysesthesias is also a common symptom of neuropathy. A typical neurological pain called neuralgia is often associated with neuropathy. Burning sensation in palms and feet are also common symptoms of neuropathy. An electric shock sensation or pins and needle sensation are also complained by patients suffering from neuropathy.
Treatments of neuropathy: Many antidepressant drugs are often administered to patients to get relief from neurological pain. Opioid are used as analgesics to get some relief from the neuralgia. Topical application of lidocaine also gives relieves from neuropathic pain. Ketamine and Capsaicin cream also have beneficial effects in neuropathy and help to minimize neuropathic pain. Alpha blocker clonidine has a good effect on minimizing the neuropathic pain. It reduces the activity of the sympathetic nerves in the regions of pain. Relief can be also achieved by desensitization of the heart tissue with the help of drugs like verapamil or beta blockers like propanolol. In many cases photo therapy has been used to use the symptoms of neuropathy with good result. Infrared light rays are emitted from photo therapy devices in the affected portion of the body. Typically the wavelength of the infrared rays are maintained at 890 nm. Alpha lipoic acid and Benfotiamine are often used with good results in the treatment of various symptoms of neuropathy.
Treatments when complimented with cognitive therapy, acupuncture and meditation help the patient to recover more faster.
In case of severe neuropathy, and neurological pain do consult and take opinion from your neurologist at the earliest.
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