Neuropathy is also referred to as nerve pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, neuropathy is a general term used to describe a type of pain characterized by burning, tingling and a loss of sensation in the hands and feet. The pain is a result of nerve damage caused by injury, infection, toxins or the body's inability to use energy efficiently. Neuropathy is also referred to as peripheral neuropathy. The most common cause is diabetes.
Types
According to Health Communities, a physician developed and monitored website, neuropathy is categorized by the type of nerve involved, where the pain occurs in the body and the cause. The three types of nerves are: motor nerves, which are responsible for movement; sensory nerves, which are responsible for sensing heat, pain, touch and positions; and autonomic nerves, which are responsible for involuntary movements such as breathing, blood pressure, sexual function and digestion. According to Health Communities, mononeuropathy is nerve damage in one area of the body. Polyneuropathy is neuropathy occurring in many areas and symmetric neuropathy occurs in the same place on both sides of the body. Health Communities lists diabetes and poor nutrition as causes of neuropathy. Some cases are idiopathic--in other words, have no known case.
Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms vary depending on the affected nerve or nerves. Possible signs and symptoms include a slow onset of numbness and tingling in the feet or hands that spreads upward, burning pain, sharp pains, sensitivity to the extremities, decreased coordination, muscle weakness or paralysis and bowel and bladder problems.
Risk Factors
According to the Mayo Clinic, neuropathy risk factors include uncontrolled diabetes, alcohol abuse, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, kidney, liver or thyroid disease, and infections such as Lyme disease, shingles, Epstein-Barr, hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.
Complications
The Mayo Clinic lists decreased feeling or sensation in the arms or legs and increased potential for infection, especially in feet and legs, as complications of neuropathy.
Diagnosis
According to the Mayo Clinic, neuropathy is difficult to diagnosis because it is a symptom with many possible causes. A health care provider will perform a neurological exam, which includes checking tendon reflexes, muscle strength, ability to feel sensations, and coordination. Blood tests, tests measuring electrical signals in the nerves, biopsy's of nerves and CT scans or MRI's may be performed.
Treatments
Managing the problem causing neuropathy is a goal of treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. Correcting the underlying cause will often resolve neuropathy pain. If the cause cannot be cured, symptom relief becomes the primary goal. Treatments include pain relievers, anti-seizure medications, topical pain relieving patches, antidepressants and an electric impulse therapy used to interrupt pain signals in an attempt to decrease discomfort.
