Metabolic diseases as a cause of polyneuropathy
As a result of metabolic diseases, peripheral nerves can also be damaged. These include functional disorders of the liver (e.g. in liver cirrhosis, hepatitis B, C, etc. ), kidney diseases (uremic polyneuropathy due to waste products produced in the body when kidney function is insufficient) or thyroid diseases. Thyroid dysfunction can cause symptoms similar to those of malnutrition. Nerve tissue is not sufficiently supplied and polyneuropathy can occur.
Hereditary diseases as a cause of polyneuropathy
Polyneuropathy can also be caused by hereditary diseases in which the peripheral nerves are not properly developed, or degenerate (regress). One speaks of heriditary motor sensitive neuropathies (HMSN). Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), also known as heriditary motor-senisble neuropathy (type 1), is one of these diseases.
About 4 out of 10 000 people suffer from this hereditary disease. Mutations occur in certain genes on certain chromosomes that are specific to the disease and can lead to corresponding symptoms. In most cases, the disease follows an autosomal dominant inheritance.
This means that one mutated gene is sufficient to suffer from the disease. A sick patient has a 50% probability of passing on the gene to his or her offspring. Healthy patients cannot pass on the gene, but there is a certain risk of so-called new mutations, i.e. that the disease manifests itself through mutations of the already fertilized egg without the parents themselves being gene carriers. Hereditary neuropathies usually develop slowly progressive. First symptoms usually appear in the 2-3rd decade of life (20-30 years of age).
Malnutrition as a cause of polyneuropathy
Malnutrition is rarely a reason for polyneuropathy in our environment, but in the case of anorexia or bulimia, for example, severe deficiency symptoms can occur that damage the nerve cells. Also when taking certain medications, or in certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the absorption of certain nutrients can be disturbed. Vitamin deficiency (e.g. B vitamins and possibly D vitamins) is particularly problematic, which can lead to corresponding damage to the nerves. In developing countries, nutritional deficiency is one of the most common causes of PNP, along with infectious diseases.
