Polyneuropathy can affect anyone. An estimated five million people in Germany suffer from it. But how does the nervous disease become noticeable? And most importantly, is it curable?
Polyneuropathy, also known as PNP for short, is one of the most common neurological diseases in Europe and North America. It is the generic term for a variety of diseases of the nerves that lie outside of the brain and spinal cord. As Poly already points out in the technical description, there are always several affected nerves.
Polyneuropathy can only be cured if the affected nerves are not already damaged. This is currently only possible in individual cases, because diseases and causes are often only recognized late. As the disease progresses, nerve damage occurs. Eventually, these disrupt the flow of information between the brain, spinal cord and the rest of the body. This has far-reaching consequences for those affected and their quality of life.
Older people are at greater risk of developing PNP than younger people. In principle, the faster the disease is diagnosed and the cause of the PNP is found, the better the disease can be treated.
Causes:
A total of around 600 different triggers are counted as the cause of PNP. In about half of the diagnosed cases, however, it is a matter of long-term consequences of the metabolic disease diabetes mellitus or long-term alcohol abuse. Poisoning with heavy metals such as lead or with toxins such as arsenic can also attack the nerves and trigger polyneuropathy. PNP is also often described as a consequence of certain anticancer drugs. Polyneuropathy can also be triggered by infections, long-term vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases and even certain genetic factors. This makes finding the cause very difficult in many cases. Therefore, no clear trigger can be found for every fifth person affected. In these cases, doctors speak of idiopathic polyneuropathy.
Symptoms:
Due to the diverse causes, different nerves in the body can also be affected and accordingly cause different symptoms. Some of these symptoms are caused by nerve failure, others are caused by the nerves overreacting and sending wrong signals to the brain. While not everyone with PNP experiences pain, the symptoms can be very debilitating. If, for example, sensory nerves are affected, there is often a feeling of numbness and a loss of the sensation of cold, heat or pressure. At the same time, those affected say that they have unsteady gait and fall more often.
If nerves that control the muscles are affected, paralysis, muscle wasting and muscle cramps can occur. So-called autonomic nerves are nerves that supply the organs. These can also be damaged in polyneuropathy and cause corresponding symptoms such as permanent diarrhea, stomach paralysis, erectile dysfunction, lack of pupil movement, fainting or tachycardia. Many patients first report numb, furry, burning or tingling hands or feet.
Diagnose
The diagnosis of polyneuropathy is usually made by a neurologist after a detailed medical history and some special tests. Measuring the nerve conduction velocity or the vibration sensitivity test can be fundamental to a diagnosis. The treating physician decides which tests to use to diagnose PNP.
therapy
The therapy prescribed by the doctor depends on which nerves are affected, how severe the pain or limitations are and whether a cause for the PNP can be found. In addition to drug treatment of the pain, ergotherapy, physiotherapy or electrotherapy can also be used. If PNP is triggered by diabetes mellitus, then the blood sugar level must be normalized. But this process must also take place very gradually, because if the blood sugar drops too quickly, this can also damage the nerves. All in all, once prescribed therapies have to be carried out permanently, since breaks quickly destroy the success of the treatment.
Those affected with numbness in their feet are also advised to have regular medical foot care. Pressure sores and inflammation can often be prevented in this way. In general, PNP patients are advised to lead a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise in the fresh air, a healthy diet and adequate fluid intake.
