Little-Known Facts About Polyneuropathy and Its Treatment Methods

Prof. Dr. Nergiz Hüseyinoğlu from the Neurology Department at Memorial Kayseri Hospital provided information on polyneuropathy and treatment methods.

Nerves lose their function

Polyneuropathy refers to damage occurring simultaneously in several nerves that make up a portion of the peripheral nervous system. In polyneuropathy, a disease that causes nerves in the body to lose their functions, neurological losses occur. The central nervous system consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is the nerve network that carries stimuli from the nerve roots emerging from the spinal cord, nerve plexuses and peripheral nerves to the limbs and organs. The deterioration in nerves caused by this problem generally starts from the most distant point in the brain. The condition worsens due to loss of sensation starting in the feet and finger tips and extending upward, as well as reduced movement in the foot and hand muscles. While "poly" refers to plurality, "neuro" refers to nerves, and "pathy" means damage. As age advances, the frequency of polyneuropathy occurrence also increases. [caption id="attachment_158420" align="aligncenter"] Prof. Dr. Nergiz Hüseyinoğlu[/caption]

Diabetes is the most common cause

There are many underlying causes in the development of polyneuropathy. One of the most common causes is diabetes. Apart from this, polyneuropathy can also be seen in other metabolic, infectious and genetic diseases. Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption, chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of cancer patients, cancer, infection, kidney and liver failure and heavy metal poisoning are among various causes that can lead to polyneuropathy. Polyneuropathy is diagnosed through the patient's complaints, clinical examination, laboratory tests and EMG (electromyography) testing. EMG is an indispensable diagnostic method in polyneuropathy diagnosis. In this method, cables are attached to the patient's arms and legs and low-dose electrical stimuli are applied to evaluate the thickness of peripheral nerves, whether the nerve sheath is damaged, and whether the electrical current in the nerve is normal. When necessary, a needle is also used during EMG testing in polyneuropathy patients for differential diagnosis to evaluate the condition of the muscles.

Symptoms should be considered

• Patients with polyneuropathy may experience numbness, tingling, burning, loss of sensation or pain in their hands and/or feet. • These patients may also exhibit symptoms related to muscle strength such as weakness in hands and feet, gait disturbance, and inability to make fists. • In areas affected by the disease, muscle atrophy, slow-healing wounds, hair loss on arms or legs, shape changes (deformation) in hands and feet, changes or breakage in nails may occur. • In patients with advanced polyneuropathy, bed sores-like wounds and even gangrene can develop in the feet.

The underlying cause is important in treatment

Treatment of polyneuropathy is carried out depending on underlying causes. Since the most frequently seen type of polyneuropathy is related to diabetes, controlling blood sugar is important. If diabetes is involved, depending on the patient's complaints, the use of pain-relieving medications and medications that can repair nerve damage is recommended. Similarly, polyneuropathies seen in chronic kidney failure are related to metabolic causes and toxic substances accumulating in the body. Medications given to remove these substances from the body and, if necessary, dialysis procedures contribute to the improvement of polyneuropathy. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for genetic polyneuropathies and most treatments are still in the experimental stage. Here, patient-specific physical therapy and symptomatic treatment to reduce the patient's complaints can be applied.