Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is the constant prickly companion of more than 20 million people in the US alone. Worldwide this number reaches staggering heights and is only continuing to grow…but why?
Actually, let me rephrase that question. If so, many people are dealing with symptoms of numbness, burning, tingling, and pain in their legs, hands, and feet then shouldn’t we be further along with recognizing and (more importantly) preventing it?
To answer these questions, one must consider the nature of PN’s origins, and the recent worldwide pandemic to uncover the 5 possible reasons why peripheral neuropathy rates continue to climb.
As a registered nurse who speaks with PN sufferers everyday there are 5 overarching themes that I’ve noticed that could explain this.
- We’ve simply improved our ability to identify it through medical advancements, technology, and our increased awareness of the disease leading to a growing number of cases which are “formally” diagnosed. This is in contrast to years ago when people were walking around with these symptoms and chalking them up to “aging” or just suffering in silence which their doctors were A’ ok with and did not pursue further testing for.
- Diabetes continues to plague the population and is the #1 cause of peripheral neuropathy. As a whole, our ever-growing dietary challenges (due to the prevalence of processed/ genetically modified foods and the demand for “quick” meals) has put the 1st nail in our collective coffins. Add to that our unchecked inflation rates which are pushing us even further away from healthy diets (due to fresh produce and healthy proteins being increasingly unaffordable)- and we have the perfect breeding ground for chronic illness. Higher rates of diabetes equate to higher rates of peripheral neuropathy-period.
- People are living longer, and the aging population is more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy. Age of onset is typically 50 and older. Great! Fantastic!
- Environmental factors such as certain chemicals, toxins, pesticides, and industrial solvents have been linked to PN. Specifically, amongst these are exposure to lead, mercury, arsenic, and thallium. Some organic insecticides and solvents can result in neuropathies as well. Throw in sniffing glue (if so inclined) and other toxic compounds such as certain herbal medicines- and we have the perfect storm of PN.
- Lastly, are lifestyle factors. Poor diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption all tip the scales in favor of developing this condition. This is where a certain pandemic enters the equation.
January of 2020 saw the world rocked by the SARS CoV-2 outbreak which ushered us all indoors and wearing masks. We were in a tailspin, and this trickled down into anxiety, depression, sedentary lifestyles, overeating, drug and alcohol use, and a general cornucopia of other causative factors. Throw in a new, quick to market vaccine and subsequent resurgence after “flattening the curve” and we paved a perfect path for peripheral neuropathy to flourish unchecked.
While we have no concrete proof that the catastrophic increase in PN cases correlates to the virus or the vaccine what we do know is the side effect profile of both is still coming to light. We just do not have enough long-term data. From my own seat here in NJ however I expect there will be more noise about this down the road.
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Hi Zoet! You’re most welcome and I appreciate the positive support. D
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