Peripheral Neuropathy; How Bad Can Peripheral Neuropathy Get?

How to know if my peripheral neuropathy is irreversible?

One of the commonest questions in patients with peripheral neuropathy is whether their condition is permanent, and there is no clear answer. In diabetic polyneuropathy, for instance, the damage is usually controllable but irreversible, and the lost nerves do not regenerate. The lack of nerve regeneration has been accepted as a scientific fact for tens of years, but fortunately, our nervous system has proved to be more complex than we give it credit for. Several conditions such as uremia and vitamin deficiencies can have reversible polyneuropathy if the damage is short-lived, and patients can still regain all of their sensation soon after their recovery.

Another interesting example to the reversibility of nerve damage is seen in those recovering from COVID-19. Nerve damage has been noticed in those patients especially of the olfactory nerve, the one responsible for the sense of smell. The vast majority of patients regained their sense of smell a few weeks after their convalescence, and the same can be said about Bell’s palsy.

The key to understanding the severity and reversibility of your condition is the strict following of your doctor’s orders and raising any concerns you may have with them. Regular follow-up also helps in the assessment of your condition and the modification of your treatment according to your needs at any stage of your disease.