Life with neuropathy can be full of unknowns especially if your diagnosis is new. The pain of this condition can be frustrating and overwhelming. From debilitating symptoms like sharp pains in your feet to bothersome ones such as lack of muscle control, neuropathy can greatly diminish the quality of your life.
For this reason, it’s important to find out as much information as possible concerning the condition, its causes, and treatment. This can help you journey toward a more comfortable, pain-free life. So many people still have little information about neuropathy. Here are the top 10 things that you should know about the condition.
- Diabetic Complications can Cause Neuropathy.
Diabetes is the major cause of neuropathy globally. 70% of diabetics develop neuropathy symptoms. If you’re diabetic, it’s important to manage your sugar levels to prevent, stop, and reverse the effects of diabetes-induced neuropathy.
- There are Many Causes of Neuropathy
Vitamin B12 deficiency, surgery, chemotherapy, traumatic injury, continuous pressure on your nerves, alcoholism, and many other things may also cause neuropathy. There are even cases where doctors fail to determine the cause (idiopathic neuropathy).
- Some Medications can Cause Neuropathy
If you’re diabetic, taking metformin may result in damaged nerves. The drug can increase the risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, resulting in neuropathy. Other nerve-damaging drugs include disulfiram, metronidazole, phenytoin, among others.
- Beware of Numbness
Take extra caution if you’ve experienced numbness as one of your neuropathic symptoms to prevent more serious problems. For instance, if your foot feels numb, damages to it may go unnoticed. This can increase the risk of infection.
- Your Diet is the Balance
Whatever you eat may potentially hurt or help your nerves. Therefore, it’s vital that you know what to consume more and what to avoid. Foods with artificial sweeteners, gluten, processed sugars, and casein are very dangerous. On the other hand, plant-based diets are powerful nerve rejuvenators.
- Supplements Can be Beneficial to Neuropathic Patients
Many people who are suffering from nerve pains have now turned to nutritional supplements to boost the health of their nerves and deal with the pain. Read this article about neuropathy supplements on NeuropathyCure.org on the safety and efficacy of these alternatives.
- Prescription Medicines Can’t Cure Neuropathy
Prescription medicines are great at easing neuropathic pain. However, they only offer temporary relief. They do not deal with the root cause of neuropathy. Once the medication wears off, you need to take more to feel the effect. Besides, some drugs may cause serious side effects.
- You can Prevent Some Types of Neuropathy
Some cases of neuropathy are out of your control, for example, a nerve injury resulting from a surgery. However, you can avoid diabetic neuropathy by managing the levels of your blood sugar. Eat healthily, avoid alcoholism, and exercise often to prevent further nerve damage.
- You can Manage Pain Through Alternative Methods
Let this terminology not scare you away. Alternative approaches have shown to be effective pain management methods for several patients. Popular approaches include massage, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, biofeedback, light therapy for neuropathy and low-impact exercise.
- The Most Common Neuropathic Symptoms are Pain, Numbness, and Tingling
The hands and feet experience pain, numbness, or tingling when there’s damage on the peripheral nerves. However, these aren’t the only symptoms that neuropathy causes. Damage to the motor nerves can result in difficulties in moving the arm or walking. Similarly, abnormal heart rate can emanate from a malfunction of autonomic nerves.