pins and needles in hands and feet thyroid

“There is a lot of interest in the medical community in better diagnosing, managing, and understanding the mechanism of nerve injury.

Research has yet to zero in on promising treatment options, she says, but she has hope for new gene therapies on the horizon. She avoids fast food, sugar, corn syrup, alcohol, and trans fats. Researchers are also looking into nerve and muscle damage from Covid-19.įor Mason, following a vegan, anti-inflammatory diet has given her the most control over her pain.

Other, lesser known causes of neuropathy include autoimmune diseases that damage the nerves, infectious diseases, and viral infections, including Guillain-Barré syndrome. Luckily, most people who have it are still able to walk independently. The condition appears to affect the axons (or core of the nerve) with early involvement of the long nerve endings, according to National Institute of Health researchers. This slowly progressive disease in older adults typically causes pain and numbness without significant muscle weakness, Malik says. Malik says anyone with symptoms, such as numbness or tingling in hands and feet, should have their thyroid levels and other key neuropathy markers checked. Researchers don’t fully understand the linkīetween hypothyroidism and peripheral neuropathy, but the condition can cause fluid retention, which puts pressure on peripheral nerves. The lack of oxygen damages the myelin sheath surrounding our nerves.Īlso known as hypothyroidism, low thyroid can lead to peripheral neuropathy and nerve damage. Without B12, the body produces too-large red blood cells that don’t carry enough oxygen. A lack of B12 can lead to peripheral neuropathy if not treated carefully with either dietary changes or B12 injections. This key vitamin enters the body through animal protein. Plant-based diets are healthy, but if you’re on one, check your vitamin B12 levels. Excessive alcohol consumption can also crowd out other helpful nutrients, leading to anemia and nutrient imbalances. Alcohol, a toxic central-nervous system depressant, damages nerves over time, just as high blood sugar does in people with diabetes. People who drink to excess over many years may eventually lose feeling in their feet and legs, to the point that they can’t walk on their own. Here are four other reasons people may develop this painful and progressive nerve issue: Many of the supplements that support nerve health have antioxidant properties,” says Lindsay Colbert, executive director of The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy.ĭiabetes isn’t the only cause of peripheral neuropathy. “Poor nerve health is often accompanied by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which exacerbate challenges to attaining optimal nerve health. And many people also turn to medical marijuana, with varied results, Mason says. Topical gels and creams made with capsaicin (cayenne pepper) may help, too. “When you can’t feel changes in your body, and you have numbness, it’s so important to get the proper medical care.”Įarly-stage peripheral neuropathy treatments include medications such as gabapentin, pregabalin, and duloxetine. Catching it early opens up more treatment options, more potential to slow the disease’s progression. “Even prediabetes can cause neuropathy,” Malik says. Now 60, she works as an herbalist and runs a virtual chronic pain support group from her Rogers Park home.īoth Mason and neurologist Rabia Malik, MD, of Rush University Medical Center, say everyone, especially people with diabetes, should take neuropathy seriously. “It’s in my feet, legs, and hips - it’s everywhere. Neuropathy might keep them from feeling an injury, and poor blood flow to the area hinders the body from healing injuries or infections.Īs the condition progresses, it gets more complicated. Like Mason, most people with diabetic neuropathy know they need to check their feet carefully for sores and infection. It then gradually spreads to the legs, raising a person’s risk of falls and disability. Peripheral neuropathy begins at the outlying areas of the body, such as the feet. The condition affects nerves’ ability to transmit and interpret signals from the brain and spinal cord. Some 20 million Americans - most over age 50 - have neuropathy. It’s the most common form of peripheral neuropathy - a degenerative nerve disease that causes numbness, pain, and disability. Twenty years later, she developed diabetic neuropathy. At 7 weeks old, Angel Mason’s doctor diagnosed her with type 1 diabetes.

Pins and needles in hands and feet thyroid