Some toxic, inflammation-based forms of peripheral neuropathy can develop rapidly over days or weeks, while most other conditions take months, years, or even decades to develop. Diabetic neuropathy can progress at different times depending on the type of damage the person has. It can progress rapidly over days or weeks, or more slowly over many years. When seeking Neuropathy Pain Relief in Pasadena TX and properly controlling your blood sugar, the progression of type 1 diabetes can often slow down significantly or even stop. The first stage of peripheral neuropathy is when you notice subtle symptoms from time to time.
These symptoms are usually felt in the hands or feet. The condition will only worsen if you don't seek help, so don't wait. In some cases, the symptoms of neuropathy go quickly from being asymptomatic to being in a wheelchair in one or two years. For others, neuropathy develops slowly over many years.
The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can range from mild to severe, but are rarely life-threatening. Symptoms depend on the type of nerve fibers affected and the type and severity of the damage. Symptoms may appear over the course of days, weeks, or years. In some cases, symptoms improve on their own and may not require any specific care or treatment. Many types of peripheral neuropathy cause pain.
Neuropathic pain sometimes worsens at night and interrupts sleep. It may be because pain receptors are activated spontaneously without any known triggers, or to problems with signal processing in the spinal cord that can cause severe pain when lightly touched, which is usually painless. For example, a person may feel pain when touching their sheets. While neuropathy can take months or even years to progress to a more serious stage, there's really no time to waste.
In many cases, chronic nerve damage isn't fully reversible. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy depend on the type of neuropathy and the number of nerves affected. As the condition progresses over months, the pain may spread and affect the upper and lower parts of both legs. After several months, symptoms tend to disappear, but patients may be left with permanent disability, which may include a fall of the foot and the recurrence of symptoms. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy may look like other conditions or medical problems.
Always see your doctor for a diagnosis. Sensory motor polyneuropathy is a generalized (systemic) process that damages nerve cells, nerve fibers (axons) and nerve covers (myelin sheath). Damage to the nerve cell cover causes nerve signals to slow down or stop. Damage to the nerve fiber or to the entire nerve cell can cause the nerve to stop working. Some neuropathies develop over the years, while others may start and worsen within hours or days.
The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can vary depending on the type you have. They can also occur quickly or slowly. In peripheral inflammatory neuropathies, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), the body's immune system mistakenly attacks peripheral nerves, damaging myelin and weakening signaling along the affected nerves. Several studies funded by the NINDS focus on understanding how the production and maintenance of myelin (specific proteins and membrane organization) is regulated in Schwann cells and how mutations in the genes involved in these processes cause peripheral neuropathies. Together, these diverse areas of research will promote the development of new therapeutic and preventive strategies for peripheral neuropathies.
The NINDS has supported the network's Hereditary Neuropathy Consortium (INC), which works to characterize the natural history of several different forms of neuropathy, identify the genes that modify a person's symptoms, and develop therapies to prevent or reduce nerve damage. In addition to efforts to treat or prevent underlying neuropathic damage, other NINDS-supported studies are providing new strategies to alleviate neuropathic pain, fatigue and other symptoms of neuropathy. This can cause different types of diabetic neuropathy, such as peripheral, autonomic, focal and proximal. The diagnosis of diabetic neuropathies is based on medical history, clinical examination, and supporting laboratory tests.
Research funded by the NINDS ranges from clinical studies on the genetics and natural history of inherited neuropathies to the discovery of new causes and treatments for neuropathy, to basic scientific research on the biological mechanisms responsible for chronic neuropathic pain. Some genetic variants cause mild neuropathies with symptoms that begin in early adulthood and cause mild or negligible impairment. Similarly, for peripheral neuropathies that may be related to exposure to toxins, such as alcohol, minimizing exposure may reduce risk of developing neuropathies. NIH-supported researchers have identified a common pathway to several types of peripheral axonal neuropathies (APN), including several forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and have identified a potential drug target that could help treat the disease.
