Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

One of the most common chronic diseases is peripheral neuropathy. This is a nerve disease that commonly affects the extremities.

The symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. It also differs on whether one nerve or multiple nerves are damaged.

The frequent symptoms are weakness of the muscles. When there is nerve damage, it is difficult to control the muscles. It can be hard to grip or open objects using the hands. The legs can also buckle or you may trip over because of this. There may also be frequent cramps or twitching of the extremities. There may be loss of coordination and on rare instances, even paralysis of the muscles.

Another common symptom is numbness in the arms or legs or both. This is an early sign of damage to the nerves. Often, the feet are first to be affected followed by the hands and arms as the condition progresses. Because of the loss of feeling in the lower extremities, you may not notice even if there is a blister on your feet. When the arms and hands are affected, one may not become aware of touching objects that is too hot or too cold. In some individuals, this can be felt as prickling sensations.

Others may experience severe symptoms such as pain especially during the night. A light touch of the bed sheet on the feet can sometimes be felt as burning pain. Sometimes there can be sharp pain or jabbing pain. This also happens when the nerve is damaged.

When any of the signs and symptoms of neuropathy are noted, one should seek medical advice at the soonest possible time. This will minimize the chances of having severe complications.

Medical practitioners agree that taking on a healthy lifestyle is vital in the management of peripheral neuropathy. For instance, doing regular exercises can reduce cramps, prevent muscle wasting, and increase muscle strength.

Vitamin deficiencies such as lack of thiamine can cause nerve problems. Correcting nutritional problems and low vitamin levels can greatly help relieve symptoms. A neuropathy supplement with thiamine, vitamin B12, and DHEA has been found to be an effective way to nutritionally manage peripheral neuropathy.

What is DHEA

DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone is a steroid hormone produced by the body. It is produced mostly in the adrenal glands but also produced by the gonads and the brain.

Like the other hormones testosterone and estrogen, DHEA levels start to decrease after the age of 30. The levels of DHEA is also said to be diminished in people with anorexia, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and critically ill. Some researchers think that replacing DHEA with supplements may suppress some diseases and conditions.

This hormone is used for improving thinking skills in older people, slowing down the aging process, and improves well being. It is also used to prevent age related heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Studies have revealed that adult men with high plasma DHEA-S levels are less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. DHEA is also used to ease depression and fatigue as it was shown in research that there was improvement in measures of depression compared to those who were administered a placebo. It is quite promising for the alleviation of non major depression, although more studies need to be done.

Since the levels of this hormone decreases with aging, some researchers theorize that using DHEA supplements may help the overall health. Clinical evidence has revealed that older individuals had reduced abdominal fat and a decrease in insulin resistance after six months of taking the supplement.

DHEA is also used for boosting the immune system. The anti inflammatory properties of DHEA can potentially improve illnesses like nerve problems and certain types of cancer. It is frequently used by those with arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, certain nerve conditions, and those who want to fight the effects of aging. It is also suggested that it may prevent the growth and recurrence of some types of cancer, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women.

DHEA is applied to the skin or taken by mouth. It may also be combined with vitamin B1 and B12 for proper nerve function, available as a natural neuropathy supplement.

Basic Foot Care for Diabetics

People with diabetes are more prone to develop various foot problems. For diabetics, these can lead to serious complications if not managed early. This can be avoided by having the feet checked at least once a year by a foot doctor. It is very important to have a podiatrist in the health care team aside from the physician managing the blood glucose levels.

The individual should also inspect the feet on a daily basis for any blisters, cuts, sores, or red spots and must consult the foot doctor if any of these things are found. There is a risk of developing serious foot infection in people with diabetes. Guarding against infection is vital for diabetics. The most basic way to prevent cuts or blisters is by wearing well fitting shoes and socks at all times. Also, make it a habit to check inside the shoes for gravel or any object that can cause foot injury before wearing them. Do not walk barefoot.

Dry skin is also a frequent problem. Other skin conditions that can occur are corn, calluses, fungal infections, and cracked skin. A thin coat of lotion can be used to keep the skin soft and moisturized. Use this only over the tops and bottoms of the feet, not between the toes. Calluses must be managed by a podiatrist because these can lead to open wounds.

Keeping the feet clean daily is very important. Use water at room temperature along with a mild soap and dry the feet thoroughly especially between the toes after washing. Avoid ingrown toenails by trimming nails straight across instead of curved.

Avoid smoking as this raises the chances of developing foot problems. This may lead to poor blood circulation and poor healing.

Another potential problem is nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy. Around 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have some form of neuropathy, the most common of which is peripheral neuropathy. The symptoms may be mild tingling of the feet, numbness, or pain in the toes, feet, legs, arms, and fingers. The risk increases with age and the duration of diabetes.

In many cases, peripheral neuropathy is also due to vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency. Vitamin deficiencies, especially B vitamins can cause damage to the nerve tissues, causing painful neuropathy of the extremities. If any symptoms are felt, see a foot doctor immediately for proper management. Taking supplements are also important in the treatment and prevention of neuropathies.

How to Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetics

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIn time, people with diabetes can develop nerve damage or neuropathy. Around 60 percent of diabetics can have some form of neuropathy. Some people may have nerve damage with no symptoms while others experience nerve problems. This can be felt as pain, tingling, or numbness of the hands and feet.

The risk of having some degree of neuropathy increases with the duration of the diabetes. Peopel with uncontrolled blood sugar levels also have increased risk of having neuropathy. Other factors are high blood pressure and obesity or being overweight.

Diabetic neuropathies can be due to a number of causes. The most common are elevated blood glucose, high blood fat levels, and long duration of diabetes. Another reason is inflammation of the nerves caused by autoimmune factors. Heredity also plays a role in increased susceptibility to nerve disease. Smoking and alcohol use are also contributing factors to developing neuropathy.

The symptoms usually start as numbness, tingling, or pain in the feet. Later on, the numbness or pain can be felt in the toes, legs, arms, hands, and fingers. Other signs and symptoms of neuropathy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, and weakness.

There are also different types of diabetic neuropathy but the most frequent type is peripheral neuropathy. The feet and legs are commonly affected first, followed by the hands and arms. It is a long term complication of diabetes and the damage to the nerves continues over a long time.

For diabetics, controlling the blood glucose levels and having regular exercise can help prevent neuropathy. Consume foods that are lower in calories and higher in complex carbohydrates such as those found in vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

Nerve damage is also very common in people with vitamin B12 deficiency. This vitamin is vital for proper functioning of the nervous system and in the production of red blood cells. Also, a lack of vitamin B1 or thiamine is linked to vascular system damage, which includes the nerves in the hands and feet. Thiamine is essential for a lot of metabolic functions of the body.

In addition to good diet, proper exercise a neuropathy supplement containing B1 and B12 can help diabetics and non diabetics to avoid tingling, numbness, and burning pains to the feet and hands.

Peripheral Neuropathy Can Be Improved With Supplements

Image by Carol Moshier via Flickr

The peripheral nerves send information to and from the brain. These nerves also carry signals to and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. The term peripheral neuropathy means that there is damage to these nerves. The nerves may not be functioning properly or there can be some degree of nerve damage. It frequently causes numbness or tingling sensation in the hands and feet.

There are numerous causes of peripheral neuropathy. The condition can be due to physical injury or trauma, infection, toxins, alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies, or metabolic problems. One of the most frequent causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.

Neuropathies are among the most common problems of diabetes. This arises when blood sugar remains elevated for a long time. This is often noted as tingling of the feet or a feeling of pins and needles in the feet. Other times, there is burning or shooting pain in the feet or the feet and hands get very cold or very hot. In more severe cases, there may be numbness of the feet.

In the management of peripheral neuropathy, the underlying cause must first be corrected. The condition often improves on its own when the cause is effectively managed. For instance, those caused by vitamin deficiencies can be corrected with better diet and vitamin therapy. When neuropathy is related to diabetes, the blood sugar levels should be monitored and put under control.

There are a lot of drugs that can be used to relieve the pain of peripheral neuropathy. To control mild symptoms, over the counter pain medications can be used. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key because the peripheral nerves only have a limited capacity to regenerate. In advanced cases, most treatments may only stop the progression but cannot reverse the damage that has been incurred.

The best approach is preventing peripheral neuropathy from occurring. It can be as basic as eating a healthy diet with more fresh fruits and vegetables. It is helpful that essential vitamins and minerals are included in the diet. Low fat meat, whole grains, and low fat dairy products are excellent for the body. Regular exercise and avoiding alcoholic drinks can help prevent nerve damage.

Thiamine deficiency or lack of vitamin B1 is a known cause of peripheral neuropathy. Reversing thiamine deficiency is a good and often highly successful way to nutritionally manage peripheral neuropathy. In addition to thiamine, vitamin B12, DHEA, and alpha lipoic acid are very helpful, and these can be taken as neuropathy supplement such as NeuRx.

My Feet Have Neuropathy - What Is It?

Image via Wikipedia

30% of the population suffers from idiopathic neuropathy, which is neuropathy from an unknown cause. 

But what is neuropathy? 

Neuropathy is a disorder of the nerves. Neuropathy presents as symptoms in the hands, more often the feet, such as tingling, numbness, burning, the feeling of bugs crawling on the skin, and in the worst cases, shooting pains. 

Although 30% of neuropathy is from an unknown cause, another 30% is from a known cause, Diabetes. A few other causes are chronic alcoholism, shingles, medications, AIDS, deficiencies in vitamins, cancer drugs, toxins, and certain diseases/disorders.

Why does my diabetes cause neuropathy?

 
Patients with diabetes whose glucose/sugar has been out of control for longstanding periods of time develop neuropathy. Simply put, the disease affects your nerves when you do not take control of your sugar levels. Usually the symptoms start in the fingers as numbness first. Eventually the symptoms are felt in the toes and feet. 

Neuropathy is reversible up to a certain point, but irreversible once the glucose has been uncontrolled for too long. Many diabetic patients complain of no feeling on the bottom of both of their feet! This is when trouble can occur, if you can't feel it, you don't know it! In other words, a diabetic patient with neuropathy (or any patient with neuropathy) may step on something and never realize the skin is broken on the bottom of the foot. Bacteria may contaminate this opening, leading to an ulceration and infection. It's at this point that you may hear of diabetic patients with ulcerations, infections, and in the worst cases, amputations!

How is neuropathy treated?

 
There are many treatments for neuropathy that are dependant on each individual case. These include vitamin supplements, prescription medications, diet and glucose/sugar control, and various non-invasive therapies. The most important treatment is prevention, in the case of diabetes. 

Although uncontrollable in some cases, neuropathy is preventable and controllable in diabetes. Diet and sugar maintenance are paramount in effectively minimizing the effect of neuropathy. But remember, chronic long-term uncontrolled sugar = irreversible neuropathy. When this neuropathy is associated with pain, the problem is magnified.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is a well known cause of peripheral neuropathy. A neuropathy supplement can help improve the symptoms.