Polyneuropathy – causes, symptoms & therapy

Polyneuropathy is defined as a disease of the peripheral nervous system in which several nerves are typically affected. The medical term polyneuropathy, as a generic term, summarizes several such diseases with a corresponding variety of symptoms.

As a result of the polyneuropathy, sensory disturbances , pain, abnormal sensations and movement impairments occur. These are reversible if the underlying underlying disease is known and can be treated.

causes

Polyneuropathy can be caused by various diseases, poisoning and nutritional deficiencies. Common causes of polyneuropathy include sensory disturbances in diabetes mellitus , alcohol or drug abuse, or autoimmune disease .Discomfort and pain can also be triggered by certain toxins and infectious diseases such as typhoid , diphtheria , HIV or mononucleosis . Guillain-Barré syndrome, Churg-Strauss syndrome, herpes zoster or the side effects of chemotherapy treatment can also trigger polyneuropathy.

The so-called idiopathic polyneuropathy occurs without a recognizable cause. There is also hereditary polyneuropathy and forms of polyneuropathy that indicate a vitamin B1 , vitamin B12 or vitamin E deficiency . Rarely, vasculitis or heavy metal poisoning are thought to be the cause of polyneuropathy.

This may be due to the fact that these are often not recognized. In many cases, the triggering cause can no longer be determined, for example if certain medications led to a polyneuropathy or the polyneuropathy was caused a long time ago. Diet can also be a triggering factor for polyneuropathy.

symptoms and course

The symptoms of polyneuropathy can vary greatly depending on the underlying disease and can vary in severity. More than half of all diabetics today develop polyneuropathy. It is characterized, for example, by burning or tingling , numbness or weakness, severe pain or even paralysis.

Nerve damage can affect different nerves. They can sometimes manifest themselves as symmetrically occurring dry skin or pain in the toes. If the polyneuropathy progresses, typical sock-shaped or glove-shaped limited pain occurs. Tingling, burning, swelling or numbness characterize polyneuropathy.

Thanks to the misinformation in the nerve pathways, polyneuropathy can also lead to gait problems or paralysis. Ulcers, reduced sweat production or bladder emptying problems can also occur. The symptoms can only indicate a polyneuropathy when viewed as a whole.

Diagnose

Since sensory disturbances and pain can also point to other findings, a comprehensive anamnesis and differential diagnostics are necessary. The anamnesis determines the symptoms that could indicate polyneuropathy. The physical examination can also provide further indications of polyneuropathy.

For example, if the Achilles tendon reflex is missing, this suggests a possible polyneuropathy. Likewise, certain skin symptoms, loss of sensitivity, disturbances in the perception of vibrations or a lack of differentiation between cold and warm can indicate polyneuropathy. The nerve conduction velocity can be measured by means of an electroneurography.

In addition, small parts of the sural nerve can be removed from the thigh to rule out polyneuropathy. Other diagnostic methods to rule out polyneuropathy are sweat tests, tilt table examinations, heart examinations or others. You can also analyze certain laboratory values ​​that could provide information about the cause of the polyneuropathy.

treatment and therapy

The treatment of polyneuropathy must be based on the cause, which unfortunately is often unknown. With certain diseases, poisoning, deficiency symptoms, diabetes or alcohol abuse , the treatment of polyneuropathy can be successful thanks to obvious treatment approaches for the underlying disease. In such cases, the polyneuropathy resolves after a while.

Traditional Chinese medicine can also often treat polyneuropathy successfully. In the case of autoimmune diseases, unclear causes or poisoning – especially chronic poisoning in the low dose range and so-called environmental diseases – the therapy of polyneuropathy is difficult. The prescribed drugs often have undesirable side effects and do little to alleviate the polyneuropathy.However, those affected by polyneuropathy can do something themselves by changing their lifestyle to ensure that the effects of polyneuropathy are not so bad. A diet rich in vital substances, avoiding toxins such as alcohol or tobacco, light exercise, targeted immune strengthening, regular intestinal cleansing or detoxification measures can reduce the symptoms of polyneuropathy. In the case of pain, the symptoms of polyneuropathy can often be alleviated in outpatient pain clinics.

prevention

Good prevention of polyneuropathy is a healthy lifestyle without the influence of toxins, alcohol, intoxicating drugs, fast food or industrially highly processed food. Some causes of polyneuropathy cannot be ruled out, but others can.

In particular, nutritional or poisoning-related causes of polyneuropathy are easy to avoid in advance. Regular health checks are also important so that underlying diseases that could trigger polyneuropathy can be identified as quickly as possible.