Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is the medical term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness. Peripheral neuropathies vary in their presentation and origin, and may affect the nerve or the neuromuscular junction. more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Arthritis
Arthritis
Bubonic plague
Hypokalemia
Pachydermoperiostosis
Pachygyria
Pacman syndrome
Paget's disease of bone
Paget's disease of the...
Palmoplantar Keratoderma
Pancreas divisum
Pancreatic cancer
Panhypopituitarism
Panic disorder
Panniculitis
Panophobia
Panthophobia
Papilledema
Paraganglioma
Paramyotonia congenita
Paraphilia
Paraplegia
Parapsoriasis
Parasitophobia
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinsonism
Paroxysmal nocturnal...
Patau syndrome
Patent ductus arteriosus
Pathophobia
Patterson...
Pediculosis
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic lipomatosis
Pemphigus
Pemphigus
Pemphigus
Pendred syndrome
Periarteritis nodosa
Perinatal infections
Periodontal disease
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Peripheral neuropathy
Peritonitis
Periventricular leukomalacia
Pernicious anemia
Perniosis
Persistent sexual arousal...
Pertussis
Pes planus
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Peyronie disease
Pfeiffer syndrome
Pharmacophobia
Phenylketonuria
Pheochromocytoma
Photosensitive epilepsy
Pica (disorder)
Pickardt syndrome
Pili multigemini
Pilonidal cyst
Pinta
PIRA
Pityriasis lichenoides...
Pityriasis lichenoides et...
Pityriasis rubra pilaris
Placental abruption
Pleural effusion
Pleurisy
Pleuritis
Plummer-Vinson syndrome
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumocystis jiroveci...
Pneumocystosis
Pneumonia, eosinophilic
Pneumothorax
POEMS syndrome
Poland syndrome
Poliomyelitis
Polyarteritis nodosa
Polyarthritis
Polychondritis
Polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Polycythemia vera
Polydactyly
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polymyositis
Polyostotic fibrous...
Pompe's disease
Popliteal pterygium syndrome
Porencephaly
Porphyria
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Portal hypertension
Portal vein thrombosis
Post Polio syndrome
Post-traumatic stress...
Postural hypotension
Potophobia
Poxviridae disease
Prader-Willi syndrome
Precocious puberty
Preeclampsia
Premature aging
Premenstrual dysphoric...
Presbycusis
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Primary ciliary dyskinesia
Primary hyperparathyroidism
Primary lateral sclerosis
Primary progressive aphasia
Primary pulmonary...
Primary sclerosing...
Prinzmetal's variant angina
Proconvertin deficiency,...
Proctitis
Progeria
Progressive external...
Progressive multifocal...
Progressive supranuclear...
Prostatitis
Protein S deficiency
Protein-energy malnutrition
Proteus syndrome
Prune belly syndrome
Pseudocholinesterase...
Pseudogout
Pseudohermaphroditism
Pseudohypoparathyroidism
Pseudomyxoma peritonei
Pseudotumor cerebri
Pseudovaginal...
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Psittacosis
Psoriasis
Psychogenic polydipsia
Psychophysiologic Disorders
Pterygium
Ptosis
Pubic lice
Puerperal fever
Pulmonary alveolar...
Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary sequestration
Pulmonary valve stenosis
Pulmonic stenosis
Pure red cell aplasia
Purpura
Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch
Purpura, thrombotic...
Pyelonephritis
Pyoderma gangrenosum
Pyomyositis
Pyrexiophobia
Pyrophobia
Pyropoikilocytosis
Pyrosis
Pyruvate kinase deficiency
Uveitis
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Major causes of peripheral neuropathy include seizures, nutritional deficiencies, alcoholism and HIV, though diabetes is the most likely cause.

Mechanical pressure from staying in one position for too long, a tumor, intraneural hemorrhage, exposing the body to extreme conditions such as radiation, cold temperatures, or toxic substances can also cause peripheral neuropathy.

Many of the diseases of the peripheral nervous system may present similarly to muscle problems (myopathies), and so it is important to develop approaches for assessing sensory and motor disturbances in patients so that a physician may make an accurate diagnosis.

Types

Peripheral neuropathies may either be symmetrical and generalized or focal and multifocal, which is usually a good indicator of the cause of the peripheral nerve disease.

Generalized peripheral neuropathy

Generalized peripheral neuropathies are symmetrical, and usually due to various systematic illnesses and disease processes that affect the peripheral nervous system in its entirety. They are further subdivided into several categories:

  • Distal axonopathies are the result of some metabolic or toxic derangement of neurons. They may be caused by metabolic diseases such as diabetes, renal failure, deficiency syndromes such as malnutrition and alcoholism, or the effects of toxins or drugs.
  • Myelinopathies are due to a primary attack on myelin causing an acute failure of impulse conduction. The most common cause is acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP; aka Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome), though other causes include chronic inflammatory demyelinating syndrome (CIDP), genetic metabolic disorders (e.g., leukodystrophy), or toxins.
  • Neuronopathies are the result of destruction of peripheral nervous system (PNS) neurons. They may be caused by motor neurone diseases, sensory neuronopathies (e.g., Herpes zoster), toxins or autonomic dysfunction. Neurotoxins may cause neuronopathies, such as the chemotherapy agent vincristine.

Signs and symptoms

Those with diseases or dysfunctions of their peripheral nerves can present with problems in any of the normal peripheral nerve functions.

In terms of sensory function, there are commonly loss of function (negative) symptoms, which include numbness, tremor, and gait imbalance.

Gain of function (positive) symptoms include tingling, pain, itching, crawling, and pins and needles.

Motor symptoms include loss of function (negative) symptoms of weakness, tiredness, heaviness, and gait abnormalities; and gain of function (positive) symptoms of cramps, tremor, and fasciculations.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Nutrients for Neuropathy (The Numb Toes Series, Vol 3) $14.39 Numb Toes and Other Woes: More on Peripheral Neuropathy $13.44
Numb Toes and Aching Soles: Coping with Peripheral Neuropathy (Numb Toes Series, V. 1) $7.00 Myelopathy, Radiculopathy, and Peripheral Entrapment Syndromes $160.00
Focal Peripheral Neuropathies $104.04 Peripheral Neuropathy: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Management $89.95
Peripheral Neuropathy in Childhood (International Review of Child Neurology (Mac Keith Press)) $19.54 Handbook of Peripheral Neuropathy (Neurological Disease and Therapy) $180.35
Tunnel Syndromes: Peripheral Nerve Compression Syndromes, Third Edition $90.97 The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Peripheral Neuropathy: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age $28.94

Peripheral neuropathy, 4th ed.; 2v
Peripheral neuropathy, 4th ed.; 2v. Ed. by Peter J. Dyck and P.K. Thomas. Elsevier Saunders 2005 2843 pages $395.00 Hardcover RC409 The fourth edition of this impressive text contai
Peripheral neuropathy
The term peripheral neuropathy encompasses a wide range of disorders in which the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord--peripheral nerves--have been damaged. Peripheral neuropathy may also be r
Peripheral neuropathy: the role of probiotics and other nutrients in neurodegenerative diseases
When I saw the theme for this edition, I was somewhat taken aback. The reason is that this is a topic close to my heart as a good friend was just diagnosed ...
Group education for painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy
Introduction Painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PPDN) can dominate people's lives. In 1990 the St Vincent Declaration admirably aimed to halve ...
A pilot study on the effect of acetyl-L-carnitine in paclitaxel- and cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy
A pilot study on the effect of acetyl-L-carnitine in paclitaxel- and cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. Maestri A, De Pasquale Ceratti A, Cundari, ...
Readers offer help for peripheral neuropathy
Dear Dr. SerVaas: Not having access to a Web site (my computer is too old), this old dragon does her own research. Many skiing injuries, falling ...
A user's guide to foot screening. Part I: peripheral neuropathy
Introduction This article is one of a series of three that aims to provide a clear, simplistic and practical approach to diabetic foot assessment.
Effects of 3-month treatment with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid in diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Negrisanu G, Rosu M, Bolte B, et al. Rom J Intern Med 1999;37(3):297-306. Alpha lipoic acid is a natural antioxidant that has been suggested to improve ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay