Peripheral neuropathy is a medical condition that is caused due to damage to your peripheral nerves. This nerve damage can cause numerous problems, from painful symptoms to the loss of sensation in certain areas of your body. Most often affecting the feet, peripheral neuropathic pain is most common in diabetics, as chronically high blood sugars can lead to nerve damage. Below, we take a closer look at the causes, symptoms and treatment options for peripheral neuropathy.
Causes and Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy
As we touched on in the intro, peripheral neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to our nervous system. But what causes these nerves to degenerate or become damaged? There are a number of different causes and conditions that can lead to peripheral nerve damage, including:
- Diabetes
- High energy trauma (car accidents and athletic injuries)
- Infections like Lyme disease or shingles
- Hereditary disorders like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
- Tumors
- Smoking
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Excessive alcohol use
- Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
- Certain medications
- Diseases of the kidney or liver
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy vary by the underlying cause of the disorder, how far nerve damage has progressed, and where the nerve damage is located. For example, some people may experience a dull sensation or numbness in their feet or hands, while others will experience extreme sensitivity or a pins and needles-like pain sensation. Peripheral neuropathy can also cause loss of coordination, muscle weakness and inhibited range of motion.