Neuropathy is a disease that affects the nerves and can cause pain, tingling, stiffness, and weakness, among other things. Seniors need to understand the signs, as getting help early can significantly help the outcome of the condition. Whether seniors talk with their in-home care aide or loved ones, ignoring the tingling will only worsen things.
Additionally, seniors and their in-home care team need to understand everything they can about neuropathy so they can help in their treatment. Continue reading to learn more.
What Is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a problem with the peripheral nerves, which send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. If these nerves are damaged or don’t work right, neuropathy can happen.
There are various forms of neuropathy, including peripheral, proximal, and focal, to name a few. For seniors, it is typically peripheral neuropathy that causes them issues.
Peripheral neuropathy is a disease in which the peripheral nerves, which send signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body, are damaged or don’t work right. It can affect the hands, feet, arms, and legs, among other places. This problem often causes a wide range of symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain in the affected areas. Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by diabetes, infections, autoimmune diseases, some drugs, and exposure to toxins, among other things. The condition can vary a lot, and treatments may include dealing with the root cause, managing symptoms, and helping nerves grow back.
A Closer Look at the Pain of Neuropathy
In addition to the symptoms listed for peripheral neuropathy, seniors might also notice the following:
- Sharp, stabbing, burning, or aching pain in the hands or feet, most often. It may hurt more at night.
- A “pins and needles” feeling or numbness in the hands, feet, or other affected areas.
- Muscle weakness means that the affected body parts are weak or hard to move, making it hard to maintain balance
- Sensitivity to touch
- Sensitivity to temperature shifts
- Weak reflexes
- Balance problems
- Changes in skin, hair, and nails
- Digestive problems, such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or trouble controlling their bladder
Neuropathy Causes
As mentioned with peripheral neuropathy, the condition can be caused by several things, which is why it is frustrating for seniors, their in-home care team, and their loved ones. However, some common reasons are listed below.
- Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy. It is thought that over time, having high blood sugar can damage the brain and the nerves.
- Nerves can get weaker with age, which is another cause of neuropathy.
- Deficiencies in vitamins such as vitamins B1, B6, B12, and E might also be a reason for the condition.
- Drinking too much alcohol over a prolonged period can cause nerve damage.
- Lyme disease and shingles are two examples of viral or bacterial illnesses that can cause neuropathy.
- Some medicines, like those used to treat HIV/AIDS or certain chemotherapy drugs, can damage nerves.
- Trauma can cause neuropathy, including injuries from repetitive stress or other injuries to the body.
If seniors are experiencing any of these warning signs listed above or have a few common causes, they must talk with their medical team. If they are diagnosed with neuropathy, their in-home care aide can help them follow the recommended plan and process their concerns. Early treatment can help control the symptoms, keep the nerve damage from getting worse, and improve the general quality of life.
Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14737-peripheral-neuropathy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8066049/
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in Short Hills NJ, please get in touch with the caring staff at Helping Hands Homecare today. Call (908) 418-4299
Helping Hands Homecare provides Senior Home Care Services throughout Northern and Central New Jersey, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside, Short Hills, Millburn, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Kenilworth, Summit, Chatham, Madison, Metuchen and surrounding areas.
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
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