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Neuropathy Definition

The nervous system is critical to the human body. The nervous system allows people to feel, conducts messages that allow movement of the muscles, and allows the brain to interact with the body. When there's something wrong with the nervous system, or when it's altered by a disease, the resulting problem is referred to as neuropathy.

  1. Definition

    • As mentioned above, neuropathy is simply a disease or abnormality of the nervous system. Neuropathy is a fairly common condition, affecting an estimated 20 million people. There are, however, various causes and types of neuropathy.

    Causes

    • One of the biggest causes of neuropathy is diabetes, making up roughly 30% of the cases of this condition. Another 30% seem to have no apparent cause that can be determined. The remaining percentage of neuropathies are caused by tumors, autoimmune disorders, heredity, infection, or some type of toxin.

    Treatment

    • Depending on the type and cause of neuropathy, there are a variety of treatments. If a neuropathy is caused by a disease like diabetes, then the usual treatment is to try and cure or manage the disease. There are also medications that can be dispensed, depending on the patient's symptoms, to try and mitigate their condition before any permanent damage is done to their nervous system.

    Symptoms

    • Depending on the type and severity of a person's neuropathy they may have different symptoms. Some symptoms run through all types of neuropathy though. Numbness, tingling, abnormal sensations, or pain in your feet. These feelings may in time spread to the arms and hands. Walking may become more difficult, and patients may find themselves losing their balance for no reason, finding themselves unable to see just how strong a grip they have on something as simple as a pen.

    Damage

    • The longer a person suffers from neuropathy, the worse the damage to their nervous system can become. This damage can result in permanent loss of feeling in the extremities, and may cause a person to become wheelchair bound if the condition isn't prevented right away.

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