Neuropathy is defined as disorders of the nervous system, specifically the peripheral nervous system, and it does not affect the central nervous system. This disease is compared to peripheral neuropathy, which is the deranged function of and structure of peripheral motor, sensory, and autonomic neurons. This can involve either the entire neuron or selected levels within the body. There are four main classifications of peripheral neuropathy; polyneuropathy, mononeuropathy, monoeuritis multiplex and autonomic neuropathy. The most common of these four classifications is peripheral polyneuropathy, which affects the feet and the legs of the patient that has been diagnosed.
The symptoms associated with neuropathy depend on what part of the body is affected; motor, sensory, or autonomic and where the nerves are located in the body. The common symptoms associated with the motor senses are muscle weakness, cramps, loss of balance, loss of cooperation and spasms. The common symptoms associated with the sensory area are tingling, numbness, and pain. The pain is described as a burning or freezing sensation. The symptoms that result from damage to the autonomic nerves are abnormal blood pressure, an abnormal heart rate, reduced ability to perspire, constipation, bladder dysfunction and sexual dysfunction. Pain associated with neuropathy is difficult to treat, with close to 40 60 percent of affected patients achieving partial pain relief.
The treatments available today for pain caused by neuropathy include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, topical agents, cannabinoids, Botox, dietary supplements, spinal cord stimulators and deep brain stimulation. Determining which treatment to use for a specific patient is still incredibly difficult to do and doctors are still looking for new and inventive ways to assess which treatment is best for each individual patient. Some patients will have to try a variety of the treatments mentioned above before they experience even a tiny bit of relief of the pain associated with neuropathy.
As mentioned above, one of the symptoms of neuropathy is having a tingling, freezing, or burning sensation in the body. These sensations can occur in the hands, the arms, the legs and the feet. Many patients feel the freezing sensation more so than any of the other sensations even when they are sitting outside in 80 degree temperatures. Some antidepressants can help to relieve these sensations along with other forms of medication but they do not cure the sensations whatsoever. Patients with neuropathy will suffer from these sensations for the rest of their lives. There is no cure for neuropathy but the treatments for the disease help to alleviate some of the pain caused and help to improve the quality of life for patients. Even though there is no cure, if the disease is diagnosed early it can be controlled to the point where the disease’s progression is slowed.
There are over 20 million people suffering from this disease in the United States. This disease can strike a person at any age but it most commonly strikes adults. The annual cost of Medicare for patients with neuropathy is $3.5 billion. 30 percent of neuropathy cases are idiopathic, which means there are unknown causes, and another 30 percent of cases are caused by diabetes.
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