Hereditary Neuropathy is a group of inherited conditions that cause damage to nerves in the arms and legs. This causes problems with how you sense touch, pain and temperature.
Some of these conditions, such as Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies, can make you very sensitive to physical pressure. This means carrying heavy bags or crossing your legs can trigger symptoms.
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Hereditary neuropathies can cause numbness, pain, muscle weakness and other symptoms. These are due to problems with the peripheral nerves. They are the nerves that send signals from your spinal cord and brain to other parts of your body. Motor nerves control movement, sensory nerves carry information about things such as touch, temperature and vibration to your brain and autonomic nerves regulate involuntary body processes, like blood pressure, sweating, heart rate, digestion and bladder function.
People with hereditary neuropathies can experience a gradual onset of numbness in the feet and hands, followed by muscle weakness in the legs and arms. They may also have open sores (ulcers) on the feet or hands and a lack of balance and coordination. They may have difficulty walking, and they may develop physical deformities such as high foot arches or hammertoes. They may also have problems with their skin, including dryness and sensitivity to heat and cold.
Hereditary neuropathies are genetic disorders that affect the peripheral nerves. They can be inherited in an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked manner. Some hereditary neuropathies, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), can start in infancy, while others don’t appear until middle adulthood. There are a number of tests that doctors can use to diagnose hereditary neuropathies, such as electromyography and nerve conduction tests, as well as DNA testing to identify specific genes.
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Hereditary neuropathies are a group of genetic disorders that cause slowly progressive damage to the nerves (neuropathy). These nerves carry messages between your brain and spinal cord, your muscles and sensory organs, and the autonomic nervous system that controls involuntary body processes. Hereditary neuropathies can affect motor nerves that control muscle movement, sensory nerves that detect touch, temperature, and pain, or autonomic nerves. The symptoms vary from person to person.
People with hereditary neuropathy can experience a variety of symptoms, including numbness and tingling in the feet or hands. The tingling can feel like pins and needles, burning, or achy. It can happen all the time or just occasionally. Some types of hereditary neuropathy can also cause weakness, loss of balance or coordination, or problems with your skin and blood vessels.
Other causes of hereditary neuropathy include autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancers that spread to the nerves. Certain infections can also cause neuropathy, such as shingles and Lyme disease. Other conditions can make it harder to use your arms and legs, such as diabetes or achondroplasia (a type of dwarfism).
Some hereditary neuropathies develop during childhood or early adulthood. Symptoms of hereditary neuropathies can get worse over time, but most affected individuals have a normal life expectancy. Seek medical care right away if you have symptoms of hereditary neuropathy.
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Hereditary neuropathies are genetic disorders that affect peripheral nerves. They may cause subtle symptoms that worsen over time. Motor nerves control muscle movement; sensory nerves carry information such as pain, temperature, and vibration to the brain; and autonomic nerves regulate involuntary body processes. Hereditary neuropathies can affect all three types of nerves. Depending on the type of hereditary neuropathy, symptoms may vary from numbness and tingling to weakness and loss of muscle bulk in the legs and feet (foot drop). Some hereditary neuropathies cause problems with balance and gait.
The first signs of Hereditary Neuropathy are usually recurrent episodes of numbness, tingling and weakness in the area associated with the affected nerve. Typically, these episodes are triggered by minor physical activities that do not seem to bother healthy people. For example, hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies is a condition that weakens the muscles that lift the front part of your foot (footdrop). As a result, you can’t fully raise your foot when walking, and it drags along the ground. Episodes of numbness and weakness last from several minutes to months and can recur.
Hereditary neuropathies can be caused by a variety of factors, including health conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Research is ongoing to understand why some hereditary neuropathies occur and how they can be prevented.
Oren Zarif
Hereditary Neuropathies are a group of genetic disorders that cause sensory and motor symptoms. These conditions can affect the nerves in your feet and hands, including those that control responses to touch and pain. They can also lead to problems with your balance and strength and to deformities in the feet and hands (such as hammer toes or high arches) and to thin calf muscles and a curvature of the spine called scoliosis. The symptoms vary from person to person and may appear at birth or later in life.
Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies is a type of hereditary neuropathy that causes recurrent episodes of numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected area (palsy). It can start in your teenage years or your 20s and 30s. The episodes can last from several minutes to months. Most people recover after each episode, and the condition is not life-threatening.
The symptoms of hereditary sensory motor neuropathy can be difficult to diagnose because they come and go. Electromyography and nerve conduction tests can help doctors establish a diagnosis. Genetic testing can also confirm or rule out a hereditary neuropathy, giving you and your doctor insight into what to expect in the long term.
Hereditary neuropathies are progressive, meaning they will get worse over time. There are different types of hereditary neuropathies, and each one affects people in a different way. Some progress more quickly than others. It is important to talk with your doctor about what to expect long term and keep a record of your symptoms to show to your doctor.