Symptoms and Complications
The symptoms of neuropathy depend on the location and seriousness of the
nerve damage. The first symptom of neuropathy is often mild tingling, which
gets worse over time until the area becomes numb. People with diabetes often
have neuropathy of the feet. This is a serious condition because they could
get an infection or injure a foot and not be able to feel it.
Along with the tingling and numbness, people with chronic polyneuropathy may
feel burning or shooting pain. Since they can't sense changes in temperature
or feel pain caused by injuries, they often burn themselves or develop open
sores from injuries they don't realize they have. They also have trouble walking
and standing because they can't tell what position their joints are in.
Sometimes the nerves controlling automatic functions of the body such as
bowel and bladder contraction or blood pressure control are affected by neuropathy.
When this happens, a person can have constipation, diarrhea, erectile difficulties,
bladder dysfunction, and high or low blood pressure.
The main symptom of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is weakness that gets
progressively worse over two to three weeks. The weakness starts in the
legs and moves to the arms. The breathing and swallowing muscles can also become
weak. Between 5% and 10% of people with the disease have to breathe using a
respirator, and one in ten can't swallow. Hearts of people with a serious case
of the disease may beat with an abnormal rhythm, and their blood pressure may
go up and down in an irregular and unpredictable way.