What Triggers Neuropathy?
Has your doctor diagnosed you with peripheral neuropathy? If so, you may have questions about what caused your condition and what you can do to reduce your symptoms. The good news is that our neuropathy doctor in Grand Rapids, MI, can help improve your quality of life. He may also be able to work with your primary care physician to pinpoint an exact cause.
While some people never discover what triggered their neuropathy, others may be able to point to a specific incident or chain of events that led to their condition. Please keep in mind that there can be many causes for peripheral neuropathy, and not all of them are listed here.
That being said, here are some of the main . To learn if you’re a candidate for neuropathy treatment, please schedule an appointment with the Harrison Neuropathy Center.
Physical Injury
Do you have a single-nerve injury resulting from an auto accident, fall, sports event, or medical procedure? If so, this may be the cause of your neuropathy symptoms. Certain types of trauma can compress, crush, stretch, or even detach nerves from the spinal cord. When this happens, you may experience neuropathy pain, numbness, balance problems, muscle weakness, and other symptoms.
Diabetes
Diabetic neuropathy is more common than you may think. In fact, about 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe nerve damage. Over time, diabetic neuropathy can affect the sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves. It can also lead to common neuropathy symptoms, such as numbness in the hands and feet.
Related: Does Neuropathy in the Feet Ever Go Away? →
Vascular and Blood Problems
Certain conditions and habits can decrease the oxygen supply to your peripheral nerves. These include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. When the peripheral nerves don’t receive enough oxygen, they can become damaged with time.
Hormonal Imbalances
A hormonal imbalance has the potential to disrupt your normal metabolic processes. As a result, you may experience swollen tissues that can compress the peripheral nerves. Any time you compress the peripheral nerves, you run the risk of developing .
Liver and Kidney Disorders
Due to the nature of liver and kidney disorders, you may have a high level of toxic substances in the blood. If left untreated, this can lead to nerve damage in the long run. For this reason, many people on dialysis due to kidney failure are later diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.
Vitamin Imbalances
Certain vitamin imbalances can contribute to neuropathy, which is why it’s important to schedule routine checkups with your primary care physician. Both Vitamin B12 deficiency and excess Vitamin B6 have been associated with peripheral neuropathy.
Alcoholism
According to , up to 50% of people who drink heavily over a long period of time develop alcoholic neuropathy. While the exact cause of alcoholic neuropathy is unknown at the moment, researchers believe that alcohol and poor nutrition associated with alcoholism may be directly poisoning the nerve.
Schedule a Neuropathy Consultation
Dr. David Harrison is proud to serve as a neuropathy doctor in Grand Rapids, MI. He also received an award in 2021 for being among the Best Neuropathy Physicians in America. To schedule a neuropathy consultation with Dr. Harrison, please call the Harrison Neuropathy Center at (616) 363-0902. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.