People affected by peripheral neuropathy (PN) may indeed experience changes in the frequency and severity of their symptoms depending on the climate they are in. Colder climates and colder weather can pose special challenges for those who are affected by PN, as they tend to slow blood circulation to the hands and feet.
Ask the Expert: Neuropathy and Elevating Your Feet
Q: Will sleeping with my feet elevated help with the tingling sensation I feel at night?
A: For many people with peripheral neuropathy, evenings and nights bring an increase of symptoms such as tingling, burning, numbness or prickling sensations in the legs and feet. Just when you want to wind down at the end of the day, these symptoms can interrupt your night and rob you of the relaxation and sleep your body needs. There are many remedies, tips and tricks that our patients have tried to reduce their symptoms and help improve their ability to sleep. One question we get asked quite often is, “Will sleeping with my feet elevated help with the tingling sensation I feel at night?”
Peripheral Neuropathy and Sleep
Laying down in bed should be a relaxing time to decompress after a long day. But for people with peripheral neuropathy, bedtime can be uncomfortable and concerning. The mere brush of a sheet against your hyper-sensitive feet can cause incredible discomfort. Because peripheral neuropathy and sleep, do not mix well.
3 Things To Avoid With Peripheral Neuropathy
When your peripheral nervous system isn’t communicating well with your brain, it can cause all sorts of problems. You might receive signals of pain when there is nothing causing the pain. Or you may not perceive the pain even when you have actually injured yourself. That’s the life disrupting effect that peripheral neuropathy can have on the millions of people who deal with it everyday.
The Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy
It has been estimated that over 20 million people in the United States experience some form of peripheral neuropathy (PN). This is a condition that develops as a result of damage to the peripheral nervous system, which greatly reduces the relaying of messages to and from the brain to other parts of the body. Those who have peripheral neuropathy report having burning, tingling and numbing sensations in their hands and feet.
Magnets and Foot Problems
Is it truly possible that simply having a magnet next to your skin can relieve pain? For many years now, some doctors and practitioners have been using magnets to treat chronic pain in their patients, claiming very successful results. Now, recent research is backing up that claim.
What’s the Difference between Numbness and Tingling?
Most of us have experienced some type of numbness or tingling sensation on our skin at some point in our lives. They are both common sensations – for example, when you sleep wrong on your arm and it “falls asleep,” causing the feeling of pins and needles pricking at the skin. In most cases, numbness and tingling sensations are not serious or life threatening.
Why You Shouldn’t Wait to See a Doctor if you are Experiencing Neuropathy Symptoms
While there are many people who seek medical advice or treatment as soon as they suspect that something is wrong, there are also many others who find themselves putting off calling the doctor for as long as possible. For some reason, there are some who just do not feel the urgency to seek help until they are sure for themselves that things are really serious.