Damaged Nerves: Disturbance in Conduction

Many patients say the first symptoms feel as if the arm or leg is stuck in an anthill. Later, there may be sudden or persistent pain, even at rest, as well as numbness and even paralysis.

In principle, neuropathies can affect all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. However, they occur particularly in the longer nerve tracts of the body, i.e., the connections to the hands and feet.

Conduction disorder

Similar to a cable whose insulation is defective, in polyneuropathy the sheathing of the nerve processes is destroyed. As a result, signals are ultimately not reported to the brain, nor do commands reach the muscles. If motor nerves, which supply the muscles, are affected, muscle weakness, muscle atrophy or muscle spasms may occur.

If the autonomic nervous system is damaged, it affects nerves leading to organs, vessels and glands. The following symptoms may then occur and be the first signs of neuropathy:

  • Potency disorders
  • Bladder weakness
  • Cardiac arrhythmias
  • Alternation of constipation and diarrhea

The two most common triggers of this condition are diabetes mellitus and chronic alcohol abuse.

Causes of polyneuropathy

In addition, there are many other diseases that can cause polyneuropathy. These include infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, or cancer. People who suffer from severe paraesthesia, numbness or paralysis should therefore undergo a neurological examination. After all, the sooner the patient and physician have clarity about the causes, the sooner targeted therapy can be started.

Diabetes as a cause of nerve damage

More than half of the approximately six million diabetics develop nerve damage sooner or later if they suffer from the disease for more than ten years.

Taking all type 1 and type 2 diabetics together, the German Diabetes Society estimates that about one-third suffer from neuropathies. These impair stimulus perception and organ function.

Insidious onset

Nerve damage does not set in when the first symptoms appear, but it usually begins insidiously, so that those affected do not notice anything for a long time.

Under no circumstances should the fear of an unfavorable diagnosis deter people from going to the doctor. Because either the symptoms are really harmless or they are the first signs of a disease that needs to be recognized and treated.