Causes of Nerve Damage
Causes of Nerve Damage
Nerve Compression: Nerve compression and trauma like pinched nerve, crush injury, carpel tunnel syndrome are responsible for pain and damage of nerves.
Autoimmune Diseases: Many autoimmune diseases like lupus, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis are responsible for nerve damage.
Diabetes: Diabetic neuropathy is a condition where the neurons of all three types are affected, but mostly sensory neurons are damaged causing numbness and loss of sensation. The condition should be brought to the notice of a doctor immediately.
Cancer: It can affect the nerves in multiple ways, causing damage. A cancerous growth can crush the nerves and the chemical and radiation treatments used to treat cancer can also affect the nerves in a bad way causing pain and damage.
Infection: Certain infections caused by herpes virus, HIV, hepatitis C, etc., can affect the nerves’ functions and can cause damage as well.
Side effects of Drugs and Toxicity: Certain medication and drugs taken in high doses can affect the nerves. Even toxic substances like lead, mercury, etc., on accidental ingestion, have the potential to damage nerves.
Neuron Diseases: Diseases that affect the neurons or their functioning, like amylotropic lateral sclerosis, cause damage to a great extent as they directly affect the nerves.
Symptoms of Nerve Damage
The nerve damage symptoms vary from one person to another depending upon which nerve type has been affected. If it is motor nerve, there may be muscle twitching, muscle atrophy, weakness and a severe case may even result in paralysis. In case of sensory nerve damage, the most common symptoms are tingling, pain, numbness, burning and loss of sensation. When autonomic nerves are affected, the symptoms can be constipation, bladder dysfunction, lightheadedness, hyperhydrosis and dry eyes and mouth. Sometimes when more than on type of neurons have been affected, you may experience mixed symptoms of nerve damage.
Treatment for Nerve Damage Read the rest of this entry »
