Polyneuropathy is a type of peripheral neuropathy that affects nerve cells throughout the body, causing tingling, pain, numbness, or loss of sensation. It can be caused by various factors, including other illnesses or lifestyle choices, and is usually treated by correcting the underlying medical problem or managing pain. Diagnosis involves a medical history and tests for underlying causes, and treatment may involve lifestyle changes and pain management techniques.
Polyneuropathy is a type of peripheral neuropathy that affects nerve cells throughout the body. This condition can cause tingling sensations, pain, numbness, or the inability to feel sensations such as heat, cold, or pain in the affected areas. It can be caused by many factors, including other illnesses or lifestyle choices, but is rarely an independent disorder. Treatment for polyneuropathy is usually focused on correcting the medical problem at its source or managing pain.
The experience of polyneuropathy varies between patients and the root causes. In many cases, it can be compared to the experience of putting a foot to sleep. Any nerve cell throughout the body can be affected by this condition, so patients may have problems with sensation or may be unable to control motor impulses in the affected areas. Patients with this condition may lose strength in the affected areas or may be unable to sense the position of their appendages and extremities.
Patients suffering from polyneuropathy are often affected by other ailments. This medical condition is often a symptom of diabetes, cancer, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or various other autoimmune diseases. If none of these conditions are present, doctors may look for vitamin deficiency or exposure to toxic substances as a source of polyneuropathy. Any of these conditions can cause peripheral nerve malfunctions. In rare cases, this disorder can be hereditary.
Occasionally, polyneuropathy has an acute onset, but often this disorder is progressive in nature. Usually, the hands or feet are affected first, and the condition can spread through the limbs and trunk. Sometimes the initial experience of this disorder is pain which is eventually replaced by numbness as the condition progresses. Patients who develop polyneuropathy as a symptom of diabetes may have variable symptoms depending on how well their glucose levels are controlled.
Doctors use various tools to diagnose polyneuropathy. Initial diagnosis includes a personal medical history and tests for underlying causes. This condition may be the first recognizable sign of diabetes or other ailments. If the underlying cause can’t be found, doctors will further examine the progress, severity, and extent of the disorder. Follow-up tests might include reflex measures, nerve conduction studies, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Usually, the symptoms of polyneuropathy are not treated on their own. Once the root cause of the condition has been identified, doctors will likely focus on treating that problem. In many cases, this will control or reverse the polyneuropathy experience. In the rare cases where doctors cannot pinpoint the underlying cause of the condition, they turn to pain management techniques. Patients may be asked to make lifestyle changes, including limiting alcohol consumption, modifying diet, and exercising regularly to speed improvement.
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