How To Cope With Neuropathy
It is a disease or dysfunction of one or more nerves. They typically cause numbness, pain, or weakness in different body parts. While aging plays a vital role. Various other factors play a foul in the cause of this disease. Such a type of condition is hazardous for the elderly. It increases their susceptibility to injuries and falls. TwentyUnfortunately, millions of Americans suffer from this illness. It is a painful disease, but tender loving care and treatment can be beneficial. The most important thing is determining whether Neuropathy results from a severe underlying condition. Dealing with this day out and being careful not to irritate the situation any further can cause strain on you as the caregiver. Here are some great books to help you now.
Different Types of Neuropathy
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Peripheral Neuropathy. Nerve problems that affect the spinal cord. It involves the nerves of the feet, toes, legs, fingers, hands, arms, and face.
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Proximal Neuropathy. Nerve damage that produces pain. It affects the upper leg, butt, hips, and shoulders.
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Cranial Neuropathy. Nerve problems occur from the damaged nerves that exit the brain. It affects the eyes and ears.
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Autonomic Neuropathy. Nerve damage to the nervous system. It can affect the heart, circulation system, digestion, and other organs in the body.
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Focal Neuropathy. Nerve or group of nerves that affect only one part of the body.
Understanding the disease
It is a “disease of the nerves” due to damage to single or multiple nerves. Peripheral Neuropathy is the most common form of Neuropathy. It is a life-limiting disease that occurs due to several factors. Neuropathy, also known as peripheral Neuropathy, is a condition that affects the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves). These nerves are responsible for transmitting information between the brain and the rest of the body, such as sensations of touch, temperature, and pain, as well as controlling muscle movement.
Some of these factors include:
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Family history of Neuropathy
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Advancing age
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Alcohol abuse
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Disease conditions such as diabetes, cancer, thyroid dysfunction, kidney disease, or liver disease
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Various medications
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Vitamin deficiencies
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Autoimmune disease
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Infections
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Toxins and Poisons
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Traumatic Injuries
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Tumors
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Carpal tunnelNeuropathy’s
Signs and symptoms
Most of the time, this is not easy to manage. However, everyone is different and will have different degrees of nerve damage. While we care for our loved ones, improving their quality of life is necessary. However, before we learn about the various ways to cope with the disease, let us first understand Neuropathy’s different signs and symptoms.
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Pain accompanied by numbness in the hands and feet
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Tingling sensation in the hands and feet
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Weakness in the hands and legs, which causes them to lose balance
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Loss of reflexes
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Sensitive to touch and temperature
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Muscle wasting
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Dizziness while getting up from bed or chair
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Sexual dysfunction
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Clumsiness
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Difficulty in standing for long periods
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Cramping
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Constipation or diarrhea
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In some instances, nausea may occur
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digestive difficulty
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excessive sweating
All these symptoms make life difficult for our loved ones while caring for them. Coping with these symptoms and an integrated approach to managing the disease better is essential. And will make life comfortable for our loved ones.
The risk of neuropathy increases for people who
The risk of developing Neuropathy can increase for people who:
- Have diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage nerves over time, particularly in the legs and feet.
- Consume excessive alcohol: Alcohol abuse can lead to nutritional deficiencies and nerve damage.
- Have a family history of Neuropathy: Some forms of Neuropathy can be hereditary.
- Are older: Neuropathy is more common in older adults, possibly due to age-related changes in nerve function.
- Have autoimmune diseases: Certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, can damage nerves.
- Kidney or liver disease can affect the body’s ability to eliminate toxins, damaging nerves.
- Are exposed to toxins: Certain chemicals, such as those found in pesticides or heavy metals, can damage nerves.
- Have HIV/AIDS: This virus can directly damage nerves or lead to infections that cause nerve damage.
- Are undergoing chemotherapy: Some chemotherapy drugs can damage nerves, leading to Neuropathy.
It is important to note that not everyone with these risk factors will develop Neuropathy, and people without any of these risk factors can still develop Neuropathy.
Tips for coping with Neuropathy
In addition to pain medications and other pain management therapies. There are specific lifestyle changes that we need to address to cope with neuropathy pain. However, one factor needs to be mentioned here: the nerve cells need adequate time to heal. Patients should refrain from supplements. They are known as growth factors that claim to speed up the healing process. No supplement can fasten the nerve healing process. And our loved ones should not take these supplements. Nerves will bring their course to heal. During this time, the pain may worsen. The new nerves tend to become irritable during that period. This irritation and pain will decrease when the treatment shows the desired effects.
Additional tips
Coping with Neuropathy can be challenging, but several strategies can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Here are some tips for dealing with Neuropathy:
- Manage underlying conditions: If Neuropathy is caused by an underlying condition, such as diabetes or kidney disease, it is essential to manage that condition to help slow the progression of Neuropathy.
- Use pain medication: Depending on the severity of the pain, pain medication may be prescribed by a doctor. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also be helpful but should be used cautiously.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise can help improve blood flow and reduce neuropathy symptoms. Talking to a doctor before starting any new exercise regimen is essential.
- Maintain a healthy diet: Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help improve overall health and may also help improve neuropathy symptoms.
- Managing stress can exacerbate neuropathy symptoms, so finding ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises, can be helpful.
- Use assistive devices: Assistive devices, such as orthotics or canes, can help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
- Keep feet protected: For people with Neuropathy in the feet, it is essential to protect the feet from injury and infection by wearing comfortable, well-fitting shoes and checking the feet daily for cuts, blisters, or other damages.
- Seek support: Joining a support group or talking to a mental health professional can help manage the emotional impact of living with Neuropathy.
It is essential to work closely with a healthcare provider to develop an individualized treatment plan that meets the specific needs of each person with Neuropathy.
The lifestyle changes that can help your loved one include:
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Install night lights. With Neuropathy, there is a chance of falling, especially during the night time. Therefore, it is necessary to install night lights in areas where it is dark, and your loved one tends to use them most during the night. These areas can be the passage to the toilet or the kitchen.
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Install grab bars. Your loved one will have an increased tendency to fall without support due to poor balance. Installing grab bars in the bathrooms or rooms with a chance of losing will be necessary.
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Keep the head elevated. Dizziness is one of the significant symptoms of Neuropathy. And this mainly occurs while getting up from the chair or bed. To reduce dizziness. You should help your loved one elevate their head to 30 degrees while sleeping. This will significantly help reduce the effect of dizziness.
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Use specialized utensils for eating. Numbness and tingling sensation in the hands and feet is a classic symptom of Neuropathy. This makes daily tasks, such as eating, pretty much tricky. However, there are specially designed utensils available. To help our loved ones eat with their numb fingers.
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Caution in the kitchen. Your loved one may not be able to feel hot things and can burn themselves.
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Keep feet clean. Wash the feet with warm water and thoroughly dry their feet after washing.
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Keep the house and floors clean. To avoid infection or cuts.
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Protect the feet. Never go barefoot or wear improperly fitted shoes.
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Massage the feet or hands. It will improve circulation.
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Exercise or Yoga. To improve circulation as well.
Medications that help
Several medications can help manage the symptoms of Neuropathy. Here are some of the commonly prescribed medications for Neuropathy:
- Antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline, can help reduce neuropathic pain by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain.
- Anticonvulsants: Medications typically used to treat seizures, such as gabapentin or pregabalin, can also help reduce neuropathic pain by reducing the hyperexcitability of nerves.
- Opioids: Strong pain medications, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone, may be prescribed in severe cases of neuropathic pain but should be used with caution due to the risk of addiction and other side effects.
- Topical treatments: Capsaicin cream or lidocaine patches can be applied directly to the skin to help relieve localized neuropathic pain.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce mild to moderate neuropathic pain but may not be effective for severe pain.
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists: Medications such as ketamine or dextromethorphan may reduce neuropathic pain by blocking NMDA receptors in the brain.
It is essential to work closely with a healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate medication or combination for each individual, considering the severity of symptoms, potential side effects, and other medical conditions.
Conclusion
Finally, do not allow the disease to take charge of your life. Living life with Neuropathy is difficult but certainly not impossible. You should make your loved one understand that Neuropathy is a disease that cannot be cured. But be well managed to a great extent. With medications, therapies, and all the lifestyle changes suggested. Your loved one should be able to live a fulfilling and contented life. For more information, check out this website on Neuropathy. Also, check out this post on arthritis. Overseeing this can cause stress because you can’t be in 2 places simultaneously: taking care of your business and your loved one. Look into hiring some help. This will allow you to rest and ensure your loved one is properly cared for. Or maybe you want to spend more time with your loved one while taking a break from redundant business tasks like sending emails, returning calls, or organizing files. Let’s chat about how I can serve you so you can take care of your business and your loved ones.