WHAT ARE THE FOUR STAGES OF NEUROPATHY?
Neuropathy is a condition that results from damage to the nerves sitting at the periphery of the nervous system. It affects the spine and the brain, causing numbness, pain, and feebleness in your feet and hands. The condition can get to other parts and interrupt bodily functions such as digestion, circulation, and urination.
The peripheral nervous system is responsible for relaying signals from your brain and spinal cord to the entire body. Symptoms of the disease vary according to the level of damage to the nerves. It develops in stages, and it is crucial to recognize them to get the correct treatment.
Stage One: Sporadic Numbness and Pain
This first stage includes subtle symptoms that are easy to overlook. You may experience periods of pain or numbness in your hands or feet. Note that these symptoms are easily manageable at this stage.
Neuropathy at this juncture typically stems from excess sugar consumption. Change your diet immediately if you notice an occurrence of these symptoms. Avoid junk foods, sweets, simple carbs, and hyperglycemic foods.
Stage Two: Persistent Symptoms
At this phase of the disease, your symptoms of numbness and pain become more persistent. It is difficult to tell the difference between the two stages. What differentiates them is the persistence of the symptoms.
Most people may realize that something is wrong at this time and may seek medical assistance. If the root cause of neuropathy is an underlying ailment, treating the disease may cure nerve damage at this stage.
Stage Three: Debilitating Pain
Stage three regularly marks the point of no return. You will experience unbearable pain often every day. The numbness reaches dangerous levels to the extent of loss of sensation in the nerves.
After this, you will mostly move to the sub-stage of constant numbness. The severe damage to your nerves makes your legs and feet feel exceedingly numb. Your body no longer has enough healthy nerves to send messages to the brain. Because of severe nerve damage, your pain will seem less. However, this is a sign of worse things to come. Walking will become exceedingly difficult, and you may be unable to balance.
Stage Four: Total Numbness
At this juncture, the damage from neuropathy is so severe that you may lose all sensation in your feet. Here is where you know that the impact of the disease is permanent. From here onward, your life will never be the same again. You will not be able to walk without help since most of the nerves in your feet are dead.
If you do not have assistance, a wheelchair will help to move around. The risk of amputations and complications is highest at this point. The doctor can only try to save the remaining nerves as a last resort.
Prevention of Neuropathy
Prevention is possible if you take several steps to keep it at bay. Some of them are:
Avoid smoking
Exercise regularly
Eat healthy foods
Manage your diabetes
Keep away from activities that may damage your nerves
For more on the stages of neuropathy, visit South Bay Wellness Center & Chiropractic at our office in San Jose, California. Call (408) 642-6060 to schedule an appointment today.
