Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage that takes place outside the spinal cord or brain. It affects your body’s peripheral nerves in parts, like the hands and legs. But it can also affect other parts.
You will know that you have this medical problem when you experience weakness, pain, and numbness in the affected body areas. If you experience pain, it may be described as stabbing, tingling, or burning pain. It can be quite uncomfortable to deal with.
Professionals of neuropathy management in Los Angeles can help you deal with the problem. But you need to know the possible causes so that you can give them detailed information. This way, they can put you on the right treatment program.
Peripheral neuropathy has many causes. These include:
1. Diabetes
Diabetes, which affects over 34 million Americans, is one of the medical conditions that can cause peripheral neuropathy. The disease occurs when your blood sugar levels rise. And the rise happens when your body doesn’t properly use or makes no insulin. When the high sugar levels are sustained for a long period, they end up causing nerve damage.
If you end up dealing with peripheral neuropathy, for this reason, your treatment will depend on managing your diabetes.
2. Hereditary Conditions
The damage to your peripheral nerves can also occur because of inherited disorders. In such cases, you may be dealing with a problem that has been passed down from your parents. The disorder may lead to muscle wasting and weakness that usually affect the hands and the body areas below the knee. A good example of a hereditary condition that can cause neuropathy is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
To determine if you have a genetic disorder that’s causing damage to your nerves, you will need to undergo genetic testing.
3. Alcoholism
According to research, about 13% of Americans abuse alcohol. Are you one of them?
The amount of alcohol that you drink is relevant because it can cause peripheral neuropathy. Excessive alcohol acts as a toxin that ends up causing nerve damage. You may begin to feel the symptoms of this damage in the form of tingling and burning sensations on your feet.
Alcoholism also causes nutritional deficiencies that include the lack of vitamin B1 and B12 as well as folate. Unfortunately, when your body has these nutritional deficiencies, your nerves cease to function properly. That’s when they get damaged.
4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually caused by the increased pressure on the nerves and tendons located in the carpal tunnel. This pressure can be caused by conditions such as arthritis, wrist injury or trauma, and thyroid disease. If the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome can be identified, you can be put on an effective neuropathy management program to reverse some of the effects.
5. Medication
Some of the medicines that you are on can cause nerve damage. These include medication for HIV or AIDS treatment, chemo drugs, some heart or blood pressure medication, some skin medication, etc.
While peripheral neuropathy can make your life difficult, you can do something about it. When you consult reputable professionals in Los Angeles and describe what you do, the medication you are on, and your medical history, they will help you. You will be put on a neuropathy management program that is suited to your medical needs.
