Alcoholic Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
Symptoms of AAN are non-specific; in the sympathetic division, these include impairments in perspiration, orthostatic hypotension, whereas in parasympathetic hoarseness, swallowing difficulties, or cardiac arrhythmias 111, 166. Gastrointestinal symptoms include delayed stomach emptying and intestinal transit, dyspepsia, and faster emptying of the gallbladder 165. Besides, approximately 55% of men with AAN develop erectile dysfunctions 167. Cardiac arrhythmias in patients with AAN might increase the probability of sudden cardiac death, which is probably due to toxic effects of alcohol on a cardiac muscle that is also observed in alcoholic cardiomyopathy 168, 169. The prevalence of impairments in ANS in alcohol-dependent patients varies from 20 to 99% 160.
Urinary and Bowel Symptoms
Symptoms of AAN are due to impairments in both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic fibers of the cardiovascular, digestive, and urogenital systems. The reduction of internodal length contributes to the decreased speed of nerve conduction which may be implemented in impairments in perspiration, baroreceptor reflexes, and functions of internal organs. To determine the functions of the sympathetic division of alcohol neuropathy stages the autonomic nervous system (ANS), sympathetic skin response (SSR) is used; the abnormal results of this test suggest subclinical transmission impairments 162.
Alcoholism and Alcoholic Neuropathy
ROS triggers second messengers involved in central sensitization of dorsal horn cells 41 or they activate spinal glial cells which in turn play an important role in chronic pain 42. Reduced glutathione is a major low molecular weight scavenger of free radicals in cytoplasm. Depletion of glutathione increases https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the susceptibility of neurones to oxidative stress and hyperalgesia 43, 44. Alcohol causes neuropathy via multifactorial processes, many of which are still under investigation. Alcohol enters the bloodstream from the digestive system within 5 minutes of consumption, and peak absorption is seen within 30 to 90 minutes. Patients who abuse alcohol tend to consume fewer calories and have poor absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract.
Rehab Treatment
- What about some home remedy options or alcoholic neuropathy vitamins — do they exist?
- Ethanol diminishes thiamine absorption in the intestine, reduces hepatic stores of thiamine and affects the phosphorylation of thiamine, which converts it to its active form 12.
- Talk with your doctor about treatment and support options available to you.
- The main way alcohol can impact the body is by suppressing the nervous system.
Alcohol neuropathy, a condition characterized by nerve damage due to excessive alcohol consumption, can be mitigated and prevented through a multifaceted approach. The longer the alcohol abuse has been going on, the more damage it has inflicted on the nerves. The best way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy is to avoid excessive alcohol consumption and to seek treatment for alcoholism if you have difficulty doing so.
Dual Diagnosis
- The amount of ethanol which causes clinically evident peripheral neuropathy is also still unknown.
- Further research has confirmed the role of thiamine in the pathogenesis of ALN—the well-balanced diet and vitamin B1 supplementation significantly decreased the severity of ALN symptoms 147, 148.
- The most important strategy against alcoholic neuropathy lies in preventing the symptoms from getting worse by decreasing alcohol consumption as soon as possible.
Current postulation holds that dysfunctions within the central and peripheral nervous system are due to both direct and indirect toxic effects of alcohol 31, 85,86,87. Indirect effects are mainly induced by vitamin deficiencies (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12) 84, 88. Alcoholic neuropathy is a form of nerve damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption, affecting the peripheral nerves responsible for transmitting messages between the central nervous system and the body.
- Initially, they may be barely noticeable but can progress to more severe and disabling conditions if alcohol consumption continues.
- 7 Controversy surrounds the pathogenic role of alcohol in development of this neuropathy.
- Symptoms include burning pain in the body, hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain), and allodynia (a condition in which normal stimulus, like a soft touch, produces pain).
- Females, generally tend to drink less alcohol, are better abstainers, and present the smaller probability of the development of alcohol-related diseases 127, 128.
- Nerve damage typically affects the axons, which are the projections that send electrical signals from one nerve to another.
Ammendola and colleagues conducted a study alcoholism symptoms to assess differences between men and women in the development of alcoholic neuropathy. 26 This study used the sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude (ie, nerve conduction study) as the variable measure to detect significant neuropathy in a population of males and females with chronic alcoholism. This study suggested that females may demonstrate increased sensitivity to the toxic effects of alcohol on peripheral nerves. Females, generally tend to drink less alcohol, are better abstainers, and present the smaller probability of the development of alcohol-related diseases 127, 128.