Monday, January 31, 2011

What Causes Nerve Damage

Your nervous system controls everything your body does. It regulates your breathing, controls your muscles, and senses hot and cold. There are three types of nerves in your body: autonomic nerves, motor nerves and sensory nerves. The autonomic nerves control your involuntary or partially voluntary activities in your body. The motor nerves control movements and actions, and the sensory nerves control your senses. Nerve damage can be mild but because the nerves control your body, nerve damage can have a serious effect on your life.


Autoimmune Diseases


There are a lot of types of autoimmune diseases that can cause nerve damage. These include multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, myasthenia gravis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.


Cancer


Cancer can cause nerve damage in many ways. In some ways, cancerous masses might push against the nerves and crush them. Another way cancer causes nerve damage is because some cancer can cause a nutritional deficiency, and the treatments for cancer such as radiation and chemotherapy can also cause nerve damage.


Traumas


Certain traumas or injuries can cause nerve damage. These traumas and injuries include a pinched nerve in the neck, carpel tunnel syndrome, and injuries from being crushed.


Diabetes








As much as 50 percent of diabetics have nerve damage. Nerve damage can get worse in diabetics as the disease progresses. Diabetic nerve damage, or diabetic neuropathy, is a serious problem and can affect all three types of nerves.


Infectious Disease


Some infectious disease can cause nerve damage. These include Lyme disease, Hepatitis C, HIV and the Herpes virus.

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