Alcohol is toxic to tissues that create your nerves. It is not unusual for people who drink regularly and often to start feeling pains and tingling in their limbs. This is known has alcoholic neuropathy. People who have alcoholic neuropathy the peripheral nerves have been damaged by too much alcohol use. The peripheral nerves transmit signals between the body, spinal cord, and brain.
SYMPTOMS OF ALCOHOLIC NEUROPATHY
Alcoholic Neuropathy can affect your motor skills and your senses. They are on a wide spectrum from minor to severely major. Neuropathy isn’t life threatening but treating it will definitely improve your quality of life and wellness.
Some areas of the body affected by alcoholic neuropathy include:
Arms and Legs
- Numbness
- Tingling and burning
- Prickly sensations
- Muscle spasms and cramping
- Loss of motor functions
Urinary and Bowel
- Incontinence
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Problems starting urination
- Feeling that the bladder hasn’t been emptied fully
Other
- Sexual dysfunction
- Impotence
- Impaired speech
- Difficulty swallowing
- Heat intolerance, especially after exercise
- Vomiting and nausea
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
CAUSES OF ALCOHOLIC NEUROPATHY
Your peripheral nerves help your body manage important sensory and motor function including:
● Bowel and urinary elimination
● Walking
● Sexual arousal
● Arm and leg movement
● Speech
Alcoholic neuropathy is the result of damage to these nerves. The damage may be the result of long periods where you may have binged alcohol. Nutritional problem linked to alcohol use like vitamin deficiency can also cause nerve damage.
DIAGNOSING ALCOHOLIC NEUROPATHY
In order to be properly diagnosed, your doctor will need to examine you closely.
It is important to share any past history of alcohol use to get the most accurate diagnosis.
Test, which may identify other potential causes of neuropathy include:
● Nerve biopsy
● Nerve Conduction Tests
● Neurological Examination
● Electromyography
● Kidney, thyroid, and liver function tests
● Complete blood count
Blood tests can also look for vitamin deficiencies that are link to both nerve health and alcohol use.
Enjoy a healthy lifestyle!
