Contents:
- Medical Video: Peripheral Neuropathy
- Cause
- Time of occurrence
- Related symptoms
- Signs
- Long-term problem
- What are the causes of neuropathy?
- What are the treatments for neuropathy?
Medical Video: Peripheral Neuropathy
Neuropathy is nerve damage. Nerves communicate with the brain but they are outside the brain and spinal cord. The nerve provides an electrical stimulus for the muscles and ahu tells you the muscles to work. Nerves also receive input from various body locations and send messages to the brain about body sensations, such as heat and cold, pain and touch, and convey the texture and location of sensations.
When nerves are damaged, symptoms can vary. When a stroke occurs, the symptoms also vary. Therefore, it is only natural that you are confused with these two conditions because of many overlapping symptoms.
Differences in stroke and neuropathy are in the following categories:
Cause
Neuropathy can cause symptoms that look similar to a stroke. However, neuropathy is caused by neurological diseases, which occur outside the brain, while strokes are caused by insufficient blood flow in the brain.
Time of occurrence
Stroke is far more dangerous than neuropathy and usually occurs suddenly. Neuropathy on the other hand, even though it is a serious medical condition, is generally not emergency and dangerous and develops over a longer period than stroke.
Related symptoms
Another important difference between neuropathy and stroke is that indirect neuropathy causes several symptoms that are commonly associated with strokes, such as headaches, dizziness or changes in vision.
Neuropathy can cause changes in sensation. Changes may include a lack of unusual sensations or sensations such as pain, tingling, burning, death or even like something is creeping under the skin. Often, neuropathy causes hypersensitivity, usually making you feel uncomfortable with a light touch.
Neuropathy can also cause weakness in the arms or legs. Usually, this only occurs when neuropathy is in a severe degree. Neuropathy is usually considered a disease on both sides of the body, but it is common if one side is worse than the other.
Some people are aware of a balance problem in neuropathy. This is generally not as severe as the problem of balance in stroke. Balance problems caused by neuropathy are generally seen when the sufferer tries to walk in a straight line or stand with both feet together. Neuropathy causes balance problems because neuropathy sufferers experience sensory difficulties. This makes it difficult for them to do things that require good coordination, such as walking in a straight line.
Signs
When someone with neuropathy is examined for reflexes, the reflexes of patients with neuropathy generally do not move as fast as usual. This often helps doctors distinguish between neuropathy and stroke. Diagnostic tests are called Electromyography (EMG) and nerve study conduction /Nerve Conduction Study (NCV) shows neurological abnormalities in patients with neuropathy. Brain imaging studies abnormalities shown in stroke patients.
Long-term problem
The biggest problem with neuropathy is a long-term problem. Neuropathic patients cannot feel pain in the legs or hands, so when hands, fingers, or legs are injured, neuropathic patients may not even realize it. Bleeding, and even infection can occur when the injury is unknown. Long-term stroke problems can include muscle atrophy and muscle stiffness.
What are the causes of neuropathy?
There are many causes of neuropathy, such as diabetes, medication, chemotherapy, kidney failure, alcohol, vitamin B12 deficiency, and some infections. One of the most severe types is Guillain Barre syndrome, also called demyelinating acute polyneuropathy. This dangerous disease is characterized by neuropathy developing rapidly and causing weakness, usually starting in the legs, and then quickly rising up on the feet and finally reaching the muscles that control breathing, causing severe breathing problems and can be life threatening.
What are the treatments for neuropathy?
Neuropathy is very difficult to treat. The most effective treatment is to control the cause, whether it is due to alcohol, diabetes or medication. In some cases, the initial diagnosis of neuropathy, controlling the causes of this disease can reverse some or most of the symptoms. The remedy for pain and discomfort caused by neuropathy is very helpful for most patients.
READ ALSO:
- Learn more about peripheral neuropathy
- Learn more about radial neuropathy
- Complications of diabetes: diabetic neuropathy
