(Newswire.net — February 7, 2021) — Affecting nearly over 20 million individuals in the United States, peripheral neuropathy describes a series of medical conditions in which the nerves in various locations across the body are damaged. This series of conditions can affect the extremities of the body, including the hands, feet, and arms. To understand how this occurs, we must first examine the peripheral nervous system.
The Peripheral Nervous System
Our senses rely heavily on the sensation and perception of external stimuli; however, without the nerve network in our bodies, we would not be able to perceive the surrounding environment. A dysfunctional nerve network would result in faulty pain perception and lead to frequent injuries.
The nerve network, otherwise called the peripheral nervous system, is controlled and monitored by the brain. The nerves from these regions are tasked with sending information to the brain upon experiencing external stimuli, such as heat, intense light, or even pollutants.
There are three main nerve groups that control our bodies, including motor, sensory, and autonomic nerves. The motor nerves are responsible for controlling muscle movement, the sensory nerves are tasked with perceiving sensations, and the autonomic nerves control our internal bodily processes.
Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerves along the nerve network are damaged. Nerves can become damaged through physical trauma, infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, and side effects of medications. To summarize, anything that causes extensive damage to the body or internally attacks the nerve network has potential to cause nerve damage.
If you have recently experienced a situation that you believe may have affected the health of your nerve networks, here are six symptoms to look out for:
- 1. “Pins and needles”
The sensation of tingling and numbness is commonly referred to as “pins and needles.” In medical terms, this sensation is called paresthesia, a condition caused by damaged nerve cells sending extra signals to your brain.
Paresthesia can range from slight discomfort to mild pain, depending on the damage done to the nerves in your extremities. Often, this condition can be caused by placing too much pressure on your extremity for a long period of time. This pressure squeezes nerve cells and in turn, squeezes the arteries. Without proper oxygen and blood supply, the extremity can “fall asleep,” only to be woken up when it is moved.
Often, paresthesia is a mild symptom and typically does not indicate peripheral neuropathy; however, when coupled with other symptoms, it may be a cause for concern.
- 2. Loss of sensation
The nerve network is interconnected in a way that as soon as a stimulus is experienced, a signal is sent to the brain for processing right away. If your nerves are damaged, this may not occur properly and you may even experience long periods of numbness if your extremities. Damaged nerve cells make it harder for the brain to determine what course of action needs to be taken. In some cases, the stimuli may not even be detected.
While occasional numbness that lasts for brief moments is not worrisome, you should consult with a physician if it lasts longer.
- 3. Weakness and fatigue
While your sensory nerves may not cause fatigue, damaged motor and autonomic nerves can. Without being able to send signals to one another, your organs may not be functional at their best, causing extra stress to be placed on your body. Like the nerve network, the bodily systems that perform our most vital internal functions rely on one another.
As unaffected organs work harder to compensate for the additional stress placed on the body, you may awaken each day feeling unusually tired or weak.
- 4. Loss of balance
If your motor nerves are damaged, your muscles will feel the brunt of the condition. Motor neuropathy can cause unsteady hands, loss of balance while walking, or even difficulty performing basic household tasks. This form of peripheral neuropathy typically affects the ankles and feet, directly leading to imbalance or uneven gaits.
- 5. Slow-healing injury
Peripheral neuropathy is most commonly associated with diabetes, meaning that blood does not circulate as quickly throughout the body. Our bloodstreams contain oxygen and vital nutrients that supplement our internal organs and bodily functions. Among those nutrients are molecules tasked with healing wounds. If your wounds heal slowly, it may be a sign that you have one of the two conditions. This is because the nutrients in your body are not arriving quickly to the wound site, causing it to heal much more slowly.
6. Random injuries
As you begin to lose sensation in your extremities, you may have a difficult time perceiving dangerous external stimuli. As a result, you may discover new injuries on your body or may even unintentionally injure yourself while performing a basic task.
If you experience two or more of the above symptoms, be sure to speak with your physician about your risks of developing peripheral neuropathy.