{"id":7179,"date":"2019-06-12T08:22:09","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T08:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=7179"},"modified":"2021-04-12T19:56:26","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T19:56:26","slug":"15-symptoms-people-with-peripheral-neuropathy-can-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-symptoms-people-with-peripheral-neuropathy-can-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Symptoms People With Peripheral Neuropathy Can Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Peripheral neuropathy <\/a>is a kind of nerve damage that usually affects the feet and legs of a person, but it can also occasionally affect the hands and the arms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a type of neuropathy that is very common, unlike some of the rarer forms. Interestingly, as many as half of all people with diabetes will develop peripheral neuropathy in their lifetime. The causes of this condition are clear and include high levels of glucose in the blood as well as a high level of fats. These high accumulations in the blood can cause damage to the nerves and the small blood vessels that nourish the nerves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this occurs, peripheral neuropathy can follow. Listed here are 8 symptoms that people with peripheral neuropathy can expect to experience for all or part of their condition. Some are more severe than others but all are worth knowing about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Burning sensation in the feet, hands, legs, and arms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pins and needles type sensation in the affected limbs and extremities is something that is fairly common for people with peripheral neuropathy to experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sensation is best described as a burning feeling and for sufferers, it can range from being mildly annoying to debilitating and excruciatingly painful. When this type of pain <\/a>strikes, it can cause so much disturbance to someone’s day to day routine that taking time away from work or education becomes almost unavoidable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best plan of action when hitting with a bout of buzzing or burning legs, arms, hands and feet is to try and find some kind of distraction to shift the focus away from the irritating symptoms. Interestingly, this type of symptom is usually felt unilaterally, meaning that only one side of the body is likely to be affected, as opposed to bilaterally where both sides are affected. Buzzing and burning can be very annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Numbness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Numbness <\/a>is usually something that comes and goes with movement and proper activity. Sometimes it can just be a case of encouraging normal blood flow to an affected limb or extremity that will be enough to combat any numb sensation but for people with peripheral neuropathy, the numbness can linger on and become a bigger problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numbness can be an issue for people in different ways, given that it plays around with the pain receptors in the body and could possibly lead someone to injure themselves unnecessarily. Numbness in the arms and legs can be a nuisance that makes day to day function an issue, but numbness in the hands and feet can be even worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without proper sensation in the hands, lifting and grabbing can be difficult, whilst numb feet can make walking much more challenging than anyone would wish it to be. Numbness in the saddle area is something that can\u2019t be ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common symptoms for someone affected by this condition is pain. The pain is usually felt in the arms and the legs, but the scale of the pain varies dramatically from person to person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people report that they only experience a very mild type of pain and that is negligible to some extent, whereas other people claim to experience much more severe pain. Some of the descriptions are included here for your reference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One person described their pain as feeling like two hundred and forty-eight piranhas were nibbling excitedly on the pink flesh underneath their juicy bingo wings, whilst another person said it felt as though two large cars had driven over the ankle <\/a>of their left foot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These descriptions may seem to be on the comical side of things, but you should be in no doubt that pain is a major player on the list of symptoms that people living with this condition might experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Weakness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just like pain, weakness is another symptom that varies from person to person. Peripheral neuropathy has a habit of carving its own niche in each and every person that it affects. The weakness does not necessarily mean complete weakness, but one patient did say that they felt unable to even lift a paper airplane in order to throw it into their spouse\u2019s eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was something that they did on an almost daily basis and so weakness such as this was no doubt rather distressing. One weightlifter affected by peripheral neuropathy had a completely different account of the weakness symptom. They reported how they could only lift one car per day when suffering from the condition, as opposed to their usual routine of half a dozen cars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different accounts these may be, but they both point to a significant loss of strength brought about by peripheral neuropathy<\/a>. Weakness is just as likely as pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Changes in the way you walk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When affected by any condition at all, one of the primary concerns for sufferers is the potential for that condition to rob them of their identity. Peripheral neuropathy has the potential to do this in spades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether we ever give it the acknowledgment it deserves, the way we walk defines our individuality just as much as the way we talk. A person’s gait can be a dead giveaway to their imminent arrival, as any child will attest to whenever they’ve been listening for footfall on the stairs after nightfall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the impact, this condition has on people in terms of weakness and pain<\/a>, the way a person walks can be affected as a knock-on effect. This can mean that a person could go from walking like a catwalk model to walking like John Wayne after an enema. Perhaps this symptom has more psychological challenges than physical but it\u2019s worth noting all the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Loss of balance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sensation of losing your balance <\/a>can be a very unpleasant thing for someone to go through, no matter what the cause is. Peripheral neuropathy can rob someone of their balance all too easily, and it can even lead people to experience falls and accidents as a result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason people lose their balance with this condition is not to do with the displacement of tiny crystals in the inner ear, as it is with certain types of vertigo but is more to do with the signals that are sent to the brain from the limbs and the hands and feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced sensation, weakness, and numbness in the fingers, hands, toes, and feet can lead to misconstrued messages being sent to the brain and subsequent issues with weight-bearing. This contributes to a severe lack of accurate communication and ultimately a loss of balance. It can feel as though you’re riding a rollercoaster, apparently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Swollen feet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water<\/a>, or out onto the street, you’re hit with another knockdown. Swollen feet can occur with peripheral neuropathy and the incidents of this are found in as many as one-third of all people affected with the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if walking and balancing weren’t difficult enough to manage with swollen feet and weakened muscles, the extra challenge of trying to squeeze oversized feet into shoes just adds to the problem. Swollen feet can be addressed with ice treatments and with over the counter anti-inflammatory medication, but in most cases, it’s just a case of sitting back and waiting for the feet to go back to something similar to their normal size, if you can even remember what that is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For normal people, healthy feet are nice and supple. For those people who may be overweight, ascertaining what normal is may be quite difficult, especially if they had fat feet to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Loss of muscle tone in hands and feet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows that after a killer set of abs and perfect pectoral muscles, people hit the gym in order to tone up their toes and get some fitness into their fingers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing says beach bod like a hand that has been carved by the Gods themselves or a pair of heels fit for Achilles. For this reason, the loss of muscle tone in the hands and feet that occurs with peripheral neuropathy can be quite distressing. Of course, none of the above is true apart from the fact that muscle tone does gradually disappear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you are a hand model, the aesthetic side of this symptom <\/a>might not worry you too much, but the functional implications of this muscle loss might be more of a cause for concern and a reason to take this a little more seriously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please take things a little more seriously in your own time though, peripheral neuropathy sufferers deserve as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Sensitivity to touch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are dealing with the onset of peripheral neuropathy may start to develop extreme sensitivity to touch. The patient may begin to feel irritation from clothing and bedsheets, and they may also feel uncomfortable with others touching their skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical science does not have a reason for the cause of these symptoms. However, some experts believe that the condition may affect other parts of the nervous system as well. This situation causes a cascading effect on other regions of the brain responsible for interpreting nerve signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some patients may also develop changes in their sensations of feeling to the hands and feet. These patients may start to feel like they are wearing socks or gloves all of the time. These shifts in sensations of feeling occur as the disease wears down the nerve endings in the fingers, hands, feet, and toes. Unfortunately, there is nothing that physicians can do to stop the disease <\/a>from progressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Heat Intolerance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who experience the onset of peripheral neuropathy may start to notice an increase in heat intolerance on the skin. If the disease begins to affect the autonomic nervous system, the patient may begin to experience hypersensitivity <\/a>to heat sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The affected individual may feel like they are getting burned when sitting out in the midday sunlight. They may also find that their bathwater feels warmer than usual as well. In some cases, the patient may start to experience pain at temperatures in which they would otherwise feel comfortable. People who experience hypersensitivity to heat sources, and have yet to receive a diagnosis from a doctor, should book a consultation right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While peripheral neuropathy is irreversible in patients, doctors can recommend treatment strategies to slow the progression of the condition. If you follow your doctor\u2019s advice, make the necessary changes to improve your health, you could extend your longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

11. Bowel and Bladder Problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who experience the onset of peripheral neuropathy have to deal with a slow degradation of the peripheral nervous system. This region of the nervous system controls various functions throughout the body, including managing and controlling the bladder <\/a>and bowels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients who develop peripheral neuropathy may find that they start to experience changes in digestive systems behavior. It\u2019s common for people in the advanced stages of the disease to create intestinal blockages that can become a life-threatening situation for the patient if left untreated. The patient may have to deal with digestive discomfort and constipation if the nervous system starts to interfere with the typical relay of electrical signals from the brain to the gut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients with peripheral neuropathy may also experience problems with bladder control as well. The patient may start to lose control of the bladder, causing symptoms of urinary incontinence. The patient may even feel like they cannot void the bladder entirely when urinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Changes in Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The peripheral nervous system is also responsible for changes in your blood pressure<\/a> as well. The condition may cause the walls in blood vessels to expand, leading to higher blood pressure. Combined with a constricting effect on the arteries, these symptoms can become life-threatening in some patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy require regular checkups with their medical professionals to ensure that their blood pressure levels stay within the normal range. The doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication to help the individual stay at a healthy level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients may first notice the effects of peripheral neuropathy on their blood pressure when they rise from a seated position. The affected individual may start to feel lightheaded or dizzy. If the patient experiences this effect of the disorder, and no-one is around them, they could be facing a life-threatening event. The patient may bump their head on the floor or furniture as they fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Paralysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who experience the onset of peripheral neuropathy are at risk of paralysis <\/a>from the condition. Over the years, the patient starts to lose more and more of the control and function of their peripheral nervous system. Since this region of the nervous system is responsible for movement in the patient\u2019s body, they lose the ability to move their arms and legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many patients eventually require the use of a wheelchair and an assistant to get around. In the advanced stage s of the disease, the patient may lose the ability to feed themselves. As a result, many of the patients with peripheral neuropathy end up in managed care institutions where caregivers can help them live out the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your partner develops peripheral neuropathy, take them to the doctor for an accurate diagnosis. The physician will outline a plan of treatment and care while providing you with advice on what to expect as the disease progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Weak Immune Function<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are dealing with the effects of peripheral neuropathy may also have a weak immune system<\/a> as well. One of the causes of peripheral neuropathy is the inclusion of monoclonal gammopathies in the bloodstream. These abnormal blood cells start to form bone marrow disorders in the affected individual, leading to the onset of lymphoma or other blood cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bone marrow is one of the central regions of the lymphatic system, responsible for creating white blood cells. The immune system uses WBCs and antibodies to defend the body against infection by pathogens in the environment. As a result, the patient experiences a reduction in the immune response, and they may get sick more often than usual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find that you are getting sick more frequently, and you are noticing the other signs of peripheral neuropathy mentioned in this list, visit your doctor for a diagnosis. Your doctor will run a blood test to check for the presence of abnormal proteins in your bloodstream, which could be the reason for your weak immune function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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15. Risk Factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with any other medical condition, there is a list of risk factors that make some people more predisposed to developing the onset of peripheral neuropathy. If you find yourself mentioned on the list of high-risk groups below, speak to your doctor. The physician will be able to provide you with further insight into the condition and advise you of what to look out for if the disease starts to manifest symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People that have diabetes are at higher risk of developing the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People that abuse alcohol is also at higher risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deficiencies in B-vitamins can also place you at a higher risk of developing peripheral neuropathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who experience viral infections such as Lyme disease, hepatitis, HIV, and Epstein-Barr virus are at a higher risk of PN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autoimmune disease, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, place people at higher risk of developing peripheral neuropathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidney<\/a>, thyroid, or liver disorders increase your risk of PN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetics \u2013 A family history of the disease also increases your risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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