Drinking alcohol excessively and for long periods of time can impact your body in many ways that are detrimental. This includes having a negative effect on your liver, brain, heart and many other parts of your body. In fact, consuming alcohol excessively can have a negative impact on your peripheral nervous system because it can damage your nerves. This will affect the way different parts of your body communicate. Specifically, consuming too much alcohol can interfere with communication between your brain and spinal cord, thus creating a problem in your extremities and the ability to feel different sensations. It can also cause problems with speech and your gastrointestinal system. By treating alcoholism, you can get started on the journey to living a more healthful life.
With the proper treatment you can improve your overall quality of life. A rehab center can provide a variety of resources to treat alcoholism and related disorders that will ultimately mitigate alcoholic neuropathy. However, the priority is dealing with the alcohol use first. This must happen before the neuropathy can be addressed and will include the development of a strategy for resolving the addiction. In short, the answer to the question regarding whether a rehab center can help treat alcoholic neuropathy is ‘yes.’ There’s a lot more to consider and helpful information is provided below.
Important Facts Concerning Alcoholic Neuropathy
Caused by consuming large amounts of alcohol, alcoholic neuropathy is a medical condition that primarily impacts the nervous system. Although there are still questions in the medical community surrounding the exact cause of the condition, there is no doubt that excessive alcohol consumption is what precipitates neuropathy. Specifically, it’s when your peripheral nerves are unable to send signals through your body as they would if the nerves were not damaged. This includes many areas of your body, such as your legs, arms, reproductive system and digestive tract.
Although the primary areas of the body impacted are the muscles in your legs and arms, the other areas mentioned can be just as problematic in how they impede your ability to function. How will you know if you have alcoholic neuropathy? In many cases, you’ll start to feel numbness or tingling in your extremities. There’s also a chance that you’ll experience cramping, aching and numbness. The severity of the condition can vary greatly. In some instances, people who experience alcoholic neuropathy will feel a little uncomfortable, but it won’t hinder their daily activities. On the other hand, there are some people who are unable to function as usual because the condition has become debilitating. This might include the following:
- Impaired speech
- Dizziness
- Incontinence
- Difficulty swallowing
Diagnosing and Treating Alcoholic Neuropathy
The process of diagnosing alcoholic neuropathy usually involves running various tests and getting a biopsy. There are a range of different tests that will likely be run to check many parts of your body, including your kidneys, liver and thyroid. The doctor will endeavor to uncover any issues with your gastrointestinal tract. The test taken will also assess whether there are any nutritional deficiencies. After diagnosis is made, the appropriate treatment will be recommended.
As previously mentioned, rehab is one of those options because it can help you deal with your excessive consumption of alcohol. One of the most important elements of treatment is ceasing the consumption of alcohol because continuing to drink can lead to further damage. Some of the other potential solutions include physical therapy, pain medication and supplements to combat vitamin deficiencies.
Preventing Alcoholic Neuropathy
Alcohol has the ability to prohibit your body from properly absorbing nutrients and significantly damage nerves. In order for your body to function properly, it requires the right nutrients for cell growth. When deficiencies exists, physical ailments abound. Although it might take some time for symptoms to occur, dealing with alcoholic neuropathy can become a devastating experience that takes time to resolve.
As with many other areas of life, prevention is always best, which is why you should prevent alcoholic neuropathy and avoid what could become devastating consequences. It’s best to maintain a proactive approach to dealing with this condition. The most obvious way to prevent it is to avoid drinking alcohol excessively or altogether. You should also consume a nutrient-dense and balanced diet so that your body is able to function optimally. If you have any questions about rehab related to alcoholic neuropathy, we’re here to help. Give us a call at 302-842-2390 to learn more about how you can prevent or treat this condition.