| |
Autonomic neuropathy
Small fiber neuropathy
Overview by M.C.& modification by I.K. USA
Autonomic neuropathy or small fiber neuropathy is
caused by damage to the smallest nerves that supply sensory
feelings, help regulate your heart rate, blood pressure,
perspiration and digestion, among other functions. Neuropathy means
damage to your nerves. Autonomic small fiber neuropathy is are
often due to diabetes, autoimmune diseases, infections or toxic
conditions. Your nerves transmit messages between your brain and
your organs. Damage to your autonomic nerves results in faulty
communication with your brain and the affected parts of the
body .Your nerves are composed of many types of fibers and the
smallest fiber is affected by this neuropathy so it is called
small fiber neuropathy. The condition is fully and easily
reversible.
Signs and symptoms are variable on which nerves are affected but
can range from dizziness to trouble with digestion and urination to
sexual difficulties. Treatment involves addressing the underlying
cause, if possible, and managing the signs and symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of autonomic neuropathy depend on which parts
of your autonomic nervous system are most affected. They may
include:
- A drop in blood pressure on standing
(orthostatic hypotension), which can cause dizziness and
fainting
- Trouble with urination, including
diminished sensation, overflow incontinence and inability to
empty your bladder completely, which can lead to urinary tract
infections
- Male impotence or weak erectile
function.
- Numbness in toes very common and
may be the earliest and only symptom, feet or genitals,
abdomen. Tendency to trip easily. Burning sensation on skin.
Difficulty in judging accelerator position while driving.
- Trouble focusing eyes.
- Vaginal dryness and difficulties with
arousal and orgasm in women
- Difficulty digesting food (gastroparesis),
which can cause diarrhea, constipation, abdominal bloating,
nausea, vomiting, heartburn, feeling full after eating little
and loss of appetite
- Cardiovascular problems, such as heart
rate abnormalities
- Heat intolerance, especially during
exercise, and usually decreased sweating or increase sweating.
- Sluggish pupil reaction to light and
dark
- Exercise intolerance, which causes your
heart rate to remain unchanged instead of increasing and
decreasing in response to your activity level
- Lack of the usual warning signs of low
blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which include shakiness, sweating
and palpitation
Severe drop in blood pressure on standing: This is caused when
the heart rate fails to accelerate on standing up.
Signs to remember you may not get all of these signs.
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Erectile dysfunction in diabetes: Keys to prevention
- Vaginal dryness
- Diabetic gastroparesis
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Cardiovascular disease 101: Know your heart and blood
vessels
- Numbness feeling in toes, fingers or abdomen.
- Hypoglycemia
Your nervous system is made up of two parts. The core is your
central nervous system — your brain and spinal cord. The rest of
your nervous system, branching off from your spinal cord to the
rest of your body, is your peripheral nervous system.
Part of the peripheral nervous system involves nerves that
you consciously control — such as nerves you use to move your
voluntary muscles. Part is your autonomous nervous system — the
nerves that regulate the part of your nervous system that you
can't control, such as your heart rate, blood pressure and
digestion.
Damage to your peripheral nerves is called peripheral
neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathy is a type of peripheral
neuropathy in which the very small nerves are damaged.
A number of conditions can lead to damage of the autonomic
nerves. The most common cause is diabetes. About half of the
people who have diabetes eventually develop some type of
neuropathy.
Other causes may include:
- Alcoholism, a chronic,
progressive disease that can lead to nerve damage
- Poor diet White rice, white flour,
white sugar no fatty acids in diet.
- Infection from virus, mycoplasma
type bacteria.
- Abnormal protein buildup in organs (amyloidosis),
which affects the organs and the nervous system
-
Autoimmune diseases,
in which your immune system attacks and damages parts of
your body, including your nerves
- Some tumors, which can press on
nerves and cause direct or remote damage (paraneoplastic
syndrome)
- Multiple system atrophy, a
degenerative disorder that destroys the nervous system
- Surgical or traumatic injury
to nerves, injury can be from a car accident.
- Other chronic illnesses such as
Parkinson's disease and HIV/AIDS
- Celiac
disease more info
Having diabetes puts you at high risk of developing nerve damage,
including autonomic neuropathy. The longer you have diabetes, the
higher your risk. Risk is highest for people who've had the disease
for more than 25 years, who are older than 40 and who have
difficulty controlling their blood sugar.
Researchers currently think diabetes is a autoimmune disorder. In
fact, the higher the blood sugar, the greater chance you have of
nerve damage. Controlling blood sugar — keeping it as close to the
normal range as possible — decreases the risk of developing nerve
damage or helps keep it from progressing.
When to seek medical advice
If you have diabetes, a compromised immune system or other
chronic medical condition, see your doctor regularly. Seek medical
care promptly if you begin experiencing any of the signs and
symptoms of autonomic neuropathy. Cidpusa E.book is a complete guide
to reverse neuropathy at home with one homeopathic supplement try
this before you go for IVIg or testing.
Because autonomic neuropathy isn't a single disease, it can be
difficult to diagnose. Often, determining the diagnosis is a matter
of ruling out other causes of the symptoms. Your doctor is likely to
take a medical history, ask for a thorough description of your
symptoms and do a physical exam.
Your doctor also may use a number of tests to aid in diagnosis.
These may include:
- Autonomic tests. These
tests measure what happens to your heart rate and blood pressure
and how much you sweat in response to certain maneuvers.
- Electrocardiogram. This
test can measure the electrical impulses of your heart while you
exhale forcibly into an instrument (Valsalva maneuver). This
maneuver increases the pressure in the blood vessels in your
head.
- Tilt-table test. This
test monitors your blood pressure and heart rate as you lie flat
on a table that is tilted to raise the upper part of your body.
The tilting places stress on your autonomic nervous system,
which regulates your blood pressure and heart rate. Your doctor
can see how you respond to a situation that's similar to what
occurs when you stand up from lying down. Normally, your body
compensates for the drop in blood pressure that occurs when you
stand up by narrowing your blood vessels and increasing your
heart rate. However, this process may not occur properly in
autonomic neuropathy.
- Quantitative sudomotor axon
reflex test (QSART). A small electrical current passes
through four capsules placed on your forearm, foot and leg to
activate the nerves that supply your sweat glands. You'll feel a
slight burning sensation during this test.
- Thermoregulatory sweat test.
During this test, you're coated with a powder that changes color
when you sweat. You then enter a chamber with slowly increasing
temperature. It causes your body temperature to increase 1 to
1.5 degrees Celsius, which makes most people sweat. Digital
photos document the results. Your sweat pattern may help confirm
a diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy or other causes for
decreased sweating.
- Ultrasound. For those
with bladder symptoms, high-frequency sound waves create an
image of the bladder and other parts of the urinary tract, which
your doctor can check for abnormalities.
Complications
The possible complications of autonomic neuropathy are many. They
may include:
- Injuries from falls caused by lowered
blood pressure when you stand
- Mental and physical fatigue due to low
blood pressure
- Malnutrition and weight loss from
digestive system difficulties
- Fluid or electrolyte imbalance from
excessive vomiting or diarrhea, a condition in which your body
loses minerals you need
- Relationship problems due to sexual
dysfunction
- Urinary tract infections
- Cardiovascular complications, such as
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Kidney failure from bladder problems
that aren't treated properly
CIDPUSA |
|