The Effects of Peripheral Neuropathy on Patient’s Feet

Peripheral Neuropathy has extensive effect on an individual’s feet since it affects your sensation. This is why proper foot care is crucial for diabetic patients to reduce susceptibility to numerous foot infections.

We will be focusing on the causes and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy on an individual’s legs and feet; after which the article will give remedies for protection of the patient’s feet.

Peripheral Neuropathy Refers to infections and diseases affecting the nervous system apart from the spinal cord and the brain. The disease may refer to abnormal nerve operation in the arms and hands beside the legs and the feet region. One of the major symptom for peripheral neuropathy is the drastic reduction body sensitivity to environmental changes like temperature. Medical experts attribute the disease to numerous causes. Reduction in body sensitivity can be defined according to the degree of its severity. In numerous instances individuals may not be aware of  the loss of body sensitivity until they are medically examined. This can be tested through vibration and a light touching stroke or flat object and a pin-prick.

In the extreme cases of peripheral neuropathy the patient may acquire numbness. The feeling of a padded, swollen, creased or heavy feet can signify the numbness of body organs caused by peripheral neuropathy.

However there are advanced cases of peripheral neuropathy where patients are susceptible to extreme pain sensations. Some of the sensations include; needles and pin-pricking sensations, tingling, electrical pains, sharp pains, shooting and burning pain sensations.

In advanced cases some of the affected nerves will abnormally control the legs and feet of the patient. As a result patients can also experience dizziness. Weak, muscle wasting and crumpling. The skin is one of the organs affected because the nervous system control other non-voluntary skin functions like sweating. This may result in cracked and dry skin on peripheral neuropathy patients due to lower levels of oil production and sweating by the skin.

Medical experts have various treatment options for peripheral neuropathy based on their respective causes. Treatment of the disease through controlling the neuropathy is effective for peripheral neuropathy emanating from nutrition deficiency or diseases like diabetes. One of the major contributors to abnormal nerve functions is attributable to diabetic blood sugar. Restoration of appropriate nutritional levels can effectively eliminate neuropathy emanating from nutritional deficiencies.

If the underlying disease or cause is untreatable then such symptoms can be handled through medical therapy. Medical treatment is usually effective in handling pain emanating from pin-pricking, poking, tingling and burning sensations, however it may not reverse the numbness effect. The popular painkillers like anti-inflammatories, non-steroidal, Narcotics or Tylenol may not be effective in managing painful conditions emanating from Peripheral neuropathy. This is because abnormal nerve function may be outside the confinement of normal pain signals which normal painkillers work in tandem with. Since there are no inflammations to be tackled, anti-inflammatories are not required.

Diabetic Neuropathy Medical experts have provided several medications for treatment of mild peripheral neuropathy pains. These medications include gels and creams infused with menthol or pepper extract that are effective modifying pain sensation using several methods. However the most effective drugs are those ones that bring modifications on abnormal signals emanating from the nerves. Most of the drugs approved by the FDA for treatment of peripheral neuropathy include anti-depressants or anti-seizures. However some patients may be deterred from using these drugs because of their profound side effects.

Some of the side effects that deter patients from using such drugs include blurred vision, extreme sedation and swelling of the legs. This why some medical specialists will prescribe nutrition supplements for peripheral neuropathy emanating from various causes. However it still debatable whether these supplements are effective in treatment to the larger populace.