Neuritis
Neuritis is a
serious nervous
disorder. It refers to an inflammation of the nerves,
involving a
single
nerve or a series of nerves. At times, several
different groups of
nerves
in various parts of the body may be involved. This
condition is known
as
polyneuritis. It is also known as polyneuropathy, for
strictly
speaking,
the condition is not an inflammation, but a change in
the state of the
nerves resulting in weakness, loss of the reflexes and
changes of
sensation.
Symptoms
The main
symptoms of
neuritis
are tingling, burning, and stabbing pains in the
affected nerves. In
severe
cases, there may be numbness and loss of sensation
and paralysis of the
nearby muscles. A temporary paralysis of the face
may result from
changes
in the facial nerves on the affected side. During
the acute stage of
this
condition, the patient may not be able to close the
eyes due to loss of
normal tone and strength by the muscles on the
affected side of the
face.
Neuritis
may also
be caused
by pernicious anemia, involving the nerves of the
spine. The patient
with
this condition may find it very difficult to walk in
the dark.
Causes
The chief
cause of
neuritis
is chronic acidosis or excessive acid condition of
the blood and other
body fluids. All the body fluids should be alkaline
in their reaction
but
when the acid waste matter is continuously formed in
the tissues over a
long period due to a faulty diet, it results in
acidosis. Wrong habits
of living and over work lower the tone of the
nervous system and contribute
towards neuritis. This disease can also result from
a variety of
nutritional
deficiencies and metabolic disturbances such as
faulty calcium
metabolism,
deficiencies of several B vitamins like B12, B6, B1,
pantothenic acid
and
B2 and general toxemia.
Other
causes of
neuritis
include a blow, a penetrating injury a bad bruise or
heavy pressure
over
a nerve trunk and dislocation and fractures of the
bones. Any violent
muscular
activity or over-extension of the joint as in
sprains may injure the
nerves
and cause neuritis. The condition may also result
from certain
infections
such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, leprosy
and diabetes
mellitus,
poisoning with insecticides, mercury, lead, arsenic
and alcohol.
Treatment
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