Nerve pain and nerve damage

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Nerve pain and nerve damage are often complex and difficult to accurately diagnose. In order to avoid unexplained pain that affects quality of life, it is necessary to have regular health check-ups so that symptoms can be detected early so that the treatment process can be highly effective.

1. Nerve Type

The nervous system is involved in everything from regulating breathing to controlling muscles and sensations of heat and cold.
There are 3 types of nerves in the body:
Autonomic Nerves: These nerves control passive or partially active activities including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature regulation . Motor nerves: These nerves control movements and actions by transmitting information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles. Sensory Nerves: These nerves relay information from the skin and muscles back to the spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed and transmitted to the parts of the body that cause pain or other sensations. Nerves are essential to all bodily functions, so pain or damage to nerves can seriously affect quality of life.

2. Symptoms of neuropathic pain and nerve damage

With damage to the nervous system there can be a wide range of symptoms and it will depend on the location as well as the type of nerve affected. Damage can occur to the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. At the same time, it can also occur in the peripheral nerves, located throughout all parts of the body. Autonomic nerve damage can produce symptoms such as:
Not feeling chest pain such as angina or a heart attack Excessive sweating (known as Hyperhidrosis) or too little sweating (called Hyperhidrosis) Anhidrosis) Dizziness Dizziness Dry eyes Constipation Bladder dysfunction Sexual dysfunction
Motor nerve damage can produce the following symptoms:
Body weakness Muscle weakness Convulsions also known as localized tremor Paralysis

Damage to the sensory nerves can produce the following symptoms:
Pain Sensibility Paralysis Itching or stinging Burning Problems with position perception In some cases, people with Nervous system damage will have symptoms indicating damage to two or even three different types of nerves. For example, you may experience weakness and burning in your legs at the same time.

3. Causes of Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage

There are more than 100 different types of nervous system damage. Different types may have different symptoms and have different treatment requirements. An estimated 20 million Americans have peripheral nerve damage. This type of injury is becoming more and more common, especially with older people. In addition, up to 70% of people with diabetes also have symptoms of nervous system damage.
Although not an exhaustive list of neurological causes. However, here are some possible causes of nerve pain and nervous system damage:
Autoimmune diseases: A variety of different types of autoimmune diseases can produce symptoms of nerve pain and damage. nervous system injury. These include: Multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare condition in which the immune system attacks peripheral nerves), myasthenia gravis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease. Cancer: Cancer can cause nerve pain and damage to the nervous system in several ways. In some cases, the cancer can push back or crush the nerve. In other cases, certain types of cancer can lead to nutrient deficiencies that affect nervous system function. In addition, certain treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, cause nerve pain and damage to the nervous system in some people. Compression or trauma: Anything that results in injury or compression of a nerve can lead to nerve pain and damage to the nervous system. This often includes a pinched nerve in the neck, impact trauma, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Diabetes: Up to 70% of people with diabetes have nerve damage. These injuries are more likely to occur as the diabetes gets worse. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious complication and can affect both types of nerve cells. Sensory nerves are most commonly affected with symptoms such as burning and numbness. If you have diabetes and are experiencing symptoms of nerve pain or nerve damage, you should see your doctor for an examination and timely treatment.

Side Effects of Drugs and Toxic Substances: Various substances introduced into the body intentionally or unintentionally have the potential to cause nerve pain and nervous system damage. These include drugs such as drugs used to treat HIV, drugs used in chemotherapy treatment for cancer... or accidentally ingested poisons such as lead, arsenic, mercury.. . can also cause nerve damage. Motor Neuropathy: Motor neurons are the nerves in the brain and spine that communicate information to muscles in the body. Diseases that affect this nerve include: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) which can lead to worsening of the damage. Nutrient deficiencies: Deficiencies in several nutrients, including vitamin B6, vitamin B12 can cause symptoms of nerve pain and nervous system damage including burning sensations and muscle weakness. Nutrient deficiencies that cause nerve damage can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol or after stomach surgery. Infectious diseases: Certain infectious diseases have the ability to affect the nerves in the body. Predisposing conditions include Lyme disease, the herpes virus, the HIV virus, and hepatitis C.

4. Treatment of neuropathic pain and damage to the nervous system

In many cases, damage to the nervous system cannot be completely cured. But there are many different treatments that can alleviate painful symptoms. Because the degree of damage to the nervous system often increases gradually, it is necessary to see a specialist doctor to find out the symptoms and treat them promptly. Only in this way can the pain and adverse effects on the nervous system be reduced which can lead to permanent damage.
Usually, the first goal of treatment is to address the underlying condition causing nerve pain or nerve damage. This treatment includes:
Regulating blood sugar for people with diabetes Limiting nutrient deficiencies Changing medication when it can cause nerve damage May use other treatments physical therapy or surgical intervention for effects such as nerve compression or injury Drugs for autoimmune diseases

In addition, your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce nerve pain such as:
Pain relievers Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and desipramine (Norpramin), as well as other antidepressants, including duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor XR) Certain antiepileptic drugs Capsaicin cream Or some complementary or alternative methods can also help relieve pain and signs of discomfort such as:
Acupuncture Biofeedback Cure Meditation Anti-oxidant Vitamins Stimulating electrical nerves like TENS Currently, Vinmec International Hospital is implementing a lot of periodic health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with Very favorable pricing policy. The advantage of Vinmec's health check-up packages is that customers will be screened and screened by a system of modern equipment to help support the best diagnosis today such as PET/CT, MRI, CT 640 machines. , the world's leading advanced ultrasound machine system, international standard laboratory system,... After a general examination, if any diseases are detected, customers can use services from specialists other departments at the hospital with outstanding quality of treatment.