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Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy
Due to the difference between the types of peripheral neuropathy, symptoms vary widely. Sensory symptoms are usually the first noticed, and they include:
- Numbness
- Pain, which is usually more bothersome than agonizing
- Burning sensation or cold
- Needle pricking sensation
- Complete loss of sensation
If sensory affection is equal bilaterally and numbness is prevalent, you will feel as if you are wearing gloves or stockings. This feature is so characteristic of peripheral neuropathy that it is indeed called “gloves and stockings sensation”.
Regarding motor manifestations, the following can occur:
- Muscle weakness
- Twitching
- Paralysis
- Tremors
- Severe cramps
The same conditions can cause what is known as autonomic neuropathy which can cause:
- Increased heart rate
- Diarrhea, especially in the morning
- Abdominal cramping
- Feeling faint after standing up, also known as orthostatic hypotension.
All of the above symptoms can occur in both the arms and the legs, in one arm, in one half of the body or irregularly depending on the type of peripheral neuropathy and the nerve affected.
In addition, the original disease that caused the condition will manifest its symptoms including thirst and excessive urination in diabetes, swelling of the legs and difficulty in breathing in kidney failure, and symptoms of cancer in paraneoplastic syndrome.
