Over time, those fibers can degenerate and die, which means that neuropathy worsens due to the loss of more nerve fibers. This can cause increased numbness, but it usually makes the pain better. In this scenario, less pain means greater degeneration. Some peripheral neuropathies develop slowly, over months or years, while others develop more quickly and continue to get worse.
There are more than 100 types of neuropathies, and each type can develop differently. How the condition progresses and how quickly symptoms begin can vary greatly depending on the type of nerve or nerves damaged and the underlying cause of the condition. The prognosis for peripheral neuropathy varies depending on the underlying cause and which nerves have been damaged. If neuropathy is left untreated and worsens, numbness, tingling, and pain will worsen over time.
In addition, damaged nerves will continue to send incorrect and confusing signals to the brain more often. You may start to feel pain when there is nothing causing it. You may also not feel pain even when you have an injury or something that should cause you pain, because of the wrong signals sent to your brain. You may be at risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that could become infected.
If not treated properly and in a timely manner, the foot ulcer could lead to tissue death. In severe cases, the affected foot may be amputated. Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that results from damage to the nervous system. Neuropathy affects more than 20 million Americans each year, but many people are reluctant to seek treatment.
This condition can be difficult to identify because it can be anywhere in the body, but there are several common symptoms that are characteristic of neuropathy. The most common symptoms are extreme pain in the hands and feet, along with feeling weak and tingling. Neuropathy worsens over time if left untreated, and there are several stages of this condition, each one worsens if left untreated. Here, we'll break down the stages to help you better understand your symptoms and help you determine if you need to seek treatment.
NINDS-funded research ranges from clinical studies of the genetics and natural history of hereditary neuropathies to discoveries of new causes and treatments for neuropathy, to basic scientific research on the biological mechanisms responsible for chronic neuropathic pain. The Inherited Neuropathies Consortium (INC), a group of academic medical centers, patient support organizations, and clinical research resources dedicated to conducting clinical research on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and improving care for people with the disease, seeks to better characterize the natural background study of several different forms of neuropathy and identify genes that modify the clinical characteristics of these disorders.
