Neuropathy is a functional change or pathological
disturbance in the peripheral nerves. Know anymore than
you did? Probably not. Let's see if we can get a better
understanding of what all that mumbo-jumbo means!
The human body's nervous system has two main parts with the
Central Nervous System being the one we hear the most
about. This is the part of the nervous system that
includes the brain and spinal cord. The one we hear less
about is also a very important one. The Peripheral Nervous
System is made up of the nerves that connect the Central
Nervous System to the other organs and muscles in the body.
As you can imagine, the peripheral nerves affect a lot of
areas of the body. Now back to our original definition of
neuropathy, a functional change or pathological disturbance
in the peripheral nerves, one can see how neuropathy can
become a big problem.
The peripheral nervous system is made up of three different
types of nerves. They are motor nerves, which are
responsible for voluntary movements such as waving goodbye,
walking, etc. Another is sensory nerves which allow us to
feel pain, hot and cold, etc. The third type is the
autonomic nerves. As the name implies, these nerves
control our involuntary movements such as breathing, heart
beats, etc. Obviously, the nervous system is very complex
and one of more nerves may be involved in neuropathy.
Symptoms of neuropathy can come on suddenly or gradually
over time, depending on the types of nerves involved.
Unfortunately, diabetes is the most common cause of
neurophathy so we diabetics need to be aware of the
symptoms because early intervention is important in
treatment and recovery. In most cases, the early symptoms
are weakness, pain, or numbness. Symptoms such as
difficulty walking, stumbling or tiring easily, muscle
cramps, trouble holding onto objects, an unsteady gait,
dizziness when standing up may be symptoms. Some people
complain of their hands and feet feeling as though they are
wearing gloves or slippers when they are not. Because the
peripheral nerves involve so many areas, there are many
different types of symptoms. This can lead to problems
getting a diagnosis since so many of these symptoms also
relate to other illnesses. If you notice one or more of
these symptoms for an extended time, check with your
doctor. He or she may refer you to a neurologist, a doctor
whose specialty is the brain and nerve disorders. A
complete history of the symptoms should be presented and
such tests as an EMG (electromyography), blood tests and
urine tests will probably be done.
The key to recovery is to seek help as soon as you suspect
problems. Recovery time depends on how much damage has
been done and if nerve damage is left untreated for a long
period of time, the symptoms could become irreversible.
Don't ignore the symptoms! This is your life, your future
and your comfort we are talking about here. Most of us
human beings have a tendency to think it's our imagination,
it will get better on its own, the doctor will think I'm
just a complainer, I'll mention it when I see the doctor in
six months, etc. Wrong! At the risk of repeating myself,
I feel that I must stress early diagnosis and treatment is
important for this one. Don't let yourself have permanent
nerve damage because you waited too long to admit you had a
problem.
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For more diabetic information and recipes visit Linda's
website at http://www.diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
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