Question: Please discuss "neuropathy" and what causes it.
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
A neuropathy is a disorder of nerve tissue transmission, conduction, and/or function. It may result from trauma, toxicity, inflammation, circulatory disorder, autoimmune disorder, tumor, or infection. It may also be caused by conditions that involve the loss of myelin, the insulating layer of tissue around the outside of the nerve itself that allows for efficient transmission of impulses.
Alternatively, neuropathy may result from extension of disease or injury at the junction of the spinal cord and the rootlets that come together to form the nerve or even at the other end of the nerve where impulse transmission may be disrupted by trauma, infection, tumor, disease, toxicity or scar formation.
Peripheral nerve injury usually results in a neuropathy. The prognosis and extent varies according to the cause. If the cause is remedied, some nerve function may return over time. This is why neuropathic conditions need very aggressive evaluation and treatment.
More importantly, those diseases and conditions which cause neuropathy as complications need to be addressed to at least delay, if not prevent permanent nerve damage.
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