Motor nerves send impulses from the brain and spinal cord to all of the muscles in the body. This permits people to do activities like walking, catching a baseball, or moving the fingers to pick something up. Motor nerve damage can lead to muscle weakness, difficulty walking or moving the arms, cramps, and spasms. Sensory nerves send messages in the other direction-from the muscles back to the spinal cord and the brain. Special sensors in the skin and deep inside the body help people identify if an object is sharp, rough, or smooth, if it's hot or cold, or if a body part is still or in motion.
Sensory nerve damage often results in tingling, numbness, pain, and extreme sensitivity to touch. Autonomic nerves control involuntary or semi-voluntary functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and sweating.
When the autonomic nerves are damaged, a person's heart may beat faster or slower. He or she may get dizzy when standing up, sweat excessively, or have difficulty sweating at all. In addition, autonomic nerve damage may result in difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, problems with urination, abnormal pupil size, and sexual dysfunction.
Peripheral neuropathy can affect multiple nerves polyneuropathy or only one nerve or nerve group mononeuropathy at a time. Mononeuropathy is usually the result of damage to a single nerve or nerve group by trauma, injury, local compression, prolonged pressure, or inflammation.
Examples include: Carpal tunnel syndrome a painful wrist and hand disorder often associated with repetitive tasks on a computer keyboard Bell's palsy a facial nerve disorder. The majority of people, however, suffer from polyneuropathy, an umbrella term for damage involving many nerves at the same time. Peripheral neuropathy is a general term for disorders of the peripheral nerves the nerves connecting the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body - it is not a single disease.
Some forms of peripheral neuropathy, e. For many other peripheral nerve disorders, people may have a 'genetic predisposition' that makes them more likely to develop symptoms - similar to being at risk for heart disease or high blood pressure.
In these cases, doctors start by treating the underyling condition that may be contributing to the problem. When a cause is unknown, doctors work at treating the symptoms, since you cannot stop progression or reverse the effects when you don't know the cause. The Center for Peripheral Neuropathy is actively involved in research to find the possible causes and eventual cures for peripheral neuropathy.
You can find specific information about clinical trials for peripheral neuropathy at the University of Chicago on our website. Previous clinical trials have tested the safety and effectiveness of new medications to treat pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.
For information about clinical trials at other locations around the country, click on the National Clinical Trials page. Celiac disease, a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food, can be associated with peripheral neuropathy , along with other disorders. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barley.
It is an inherited condition that is believed to be significantly under-diagnosed in the United States. For people who are genetically susceptible to celiac disease, gluten can trigger an autoimmune reaction in the intestines, which causes a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms and prevents the proper absorption of food and nutrients. A recent study found that some people with celiac disease had neuropathic symptoms before the gastrointestinal symptoms of celiac disease appeared.
Each October, the University of Chicago Hosptials conducts a free, one-day celiac disease screening for at-risk individuals. To make a reservation or for more information, call It is well-known that diabetic patients frequently develop peripheral neuropathy.
Today, doctors are exploring a link between peripheral neuropathy and pre-diabetes also known as impaired glucose tolerance or IGT. If left untreated, people with pre-diabetes are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nerve damage which could result in peripheral neuropathy. People with pre-diabetes often have no symptoms. People who actually have diabetes-and who therefore are at greater risk of developing peripheral neuropathy-often don't realize it because the symptoms of diabetes frequent urination, constant thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, cuts and bruises that heal slowly, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet come on so gradually.
You might want to consider being screened for pre-diabetes if you are over the age of 45, overweight and not physically active, have a family history of diabetes, and belong to an 'at-risk' ethnic or minority group. Researchers at the Center for Peripheral Neuropathy are at the forefront of scientific and clinical research aimed at identifying causes, developing treatments, and finding cures for peripheral nerve disorders.
Brian Popko , director of the Center for Peripheral Neuropathy, leads one of six labs investigating the molecular and genetic causes of neurological disorders. His lab studies mice with neurological problems that mirror those of humans, in order to find the underlying causes of peripheral nerve disorders.
Researchers study mouse models because mice have a nervous system that is very similar to that of humans, and the animals can be studied in greater detail and followed more closely than humans. Discovering the primary cause of these neurological disorders leads the way to developing therapies and potential cures. Clinical research is also an important part of the Center. Still, the most important thing you can do to slow the progression of neuropathy is to see your doctor and discuss your care plan.
Together you can manage symptoms, reduce pain and get you back to enjoying your life. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Some types of neuropathy are treatable, others are not, and most fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum there are over different types : Advertising Policy.
In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Accessed Jan. Diabetic neuropathy. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes — Diabetes Care. Peripheral neuropathy adult. Mayo Clinic; Feldman EL, et al. Management of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes and foot problems. Daroff RB, et al.
Disorders of peripheral nerves. In: Bradley's Neurological Clinical Practice. Saunders Elsevier; Natural medicines in the clinical management of pain.
Natural Medicines. Nature Reviews — Disease Primers. Castro MR expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Related Diabetic neuropathy and dietary supplements Types of diabetic neuropathy. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.
0コメント