In order for you to carry out your daily activities, millions of nerve cells in your body work non-stop sending and receiving signals. The millions of nerve cells are divided into two nervous systems, namely the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the spinal cord and brain. While the peripheral nervous system is found in the organs, limbs, and skin. The cells in the peripheral nervous system function to carry information and stimuli. If the peripheral nervous system has problems, your body can fail to recognize stimuli, have difficulty moving muscles, and other health problems. Damage to the peripheral nervous system is known as peripheral neuropathy .
If you have diabetes mellitus, you have a higher risk of developing peripheral neuropathy . Apart from diabetes, several other factors that cause peripheral neuropathy are deficiencies of vitamins B1, B6, B12, and E, autoimmune diseases, genetic factors, alcohol addiction, and bacterial or viral infections.
Types and Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is divided into four types, namely mononeuropathy, motor neuropathy, sensory neuropathy, and autonomic neuropathy. These four types are divided based on the peripheral nervous system that is disturbed. This time, we will discuss the symptoms caused by each type of peripheral neuropathy so that you can immediately take the right treatment to treat it.
Mononeuropathy occurs when only one of the peripheral nerves is damaged. The common cause is injury or physical trauma from an accident. If you have mononeuropathy , you may experience symptoms such as difficulty focusing your vision, pain in the eye area, paralysis on one side of the face, leg pain, and tingling in the fingers.
The second type of peripheral neuropathy is motor neuropathy . In this type, interference occurs in the nerves that function to regulate body movements. If you have motor neuropathy , the symptoms you can feel are twitching, cramps in the muscles that cause paralysis, weak and limp legs when walking, and decreased muscle mass.
The next one is sensory neuropathy . As the name suggests, this type of peripheral neuropathy attacks the nerves that send sensation signals due to touch, temperature, and pain. People with sensory neuropathy may experience excessive pain even with the slightest touch. In addition, in the leg the sufferer will feel pain like being stabbed and also the inability to feel changes in temperature. Another sign is impaired body coordination when moving.
The fourth and final type is autonomic neuropathy . This neuropathy attacks the nerves that regulate automatic body processes, including the digestive tract and blood pressure. If you have symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, flatulence, nausea, persistent urination, infrequent or excessive sweating, and a heart that beats very fast even when you are resting, you may have autonomic neuropathy .
Minimally Invasive Surgery to Treat Peripheral Neuropathy
If you or someone close to you experiences some symptoms that indicate peripheral neuropathy , immediately consult a doctor and family hospital. To ensure peripheral neuropathy , the doctor will examine the history of diseases and disorders that you have previously experienced. Examination is done by scanning with a CT scan or MRI, neurological examination, blood check, and electromyogram.
If the results of the diagnosis state that you or someone close to you has peripheral neuropathy , you don't need to worry. New innovations in medicine allow peripheral neuropathy patients to recover quickly with surgery without large incisions. This surgical method is called minimally invasive surgery.
In addition to a small incision, the possibility of risk is also small. In contrast to ordinary surgery, in minimally invasive surgery the doctor relies on a very small endoscope camera to see the damaged peripheral nerves. The camera will display the inside of the body in real time on the screen. Through these images, doctors perform operations using very small surgical instruments that enter together with the endoscope camera.
There are several advantages to using minimally invasive surgical methods for patients with peripheral neuropathy . Because the incisions are so small, scars from minimally invasive surgery heal quickly. In addition, the risk of infection is also very small. Thus, you or a family member with peripheral neuropathy can immediately return to normal activities.
So, those are the types, symptoms, and how to deal with peripheral neuropathy . Immediately go to the hospital if you experience some of the symptoms. Make it a habit to live a healthy lifestyle to avoid various types of diseases. #LiveExcellently