Sensory neuropathy will cause numb patches and other altered sensations, such as pins and needles, reduced or altered pain sensation, or temperature changes, loss of balance or coordination caused by reduced ability to sense the position of the feet or hands.
It may be mononeuropathy affecting just one nerve, giving localised symptoms, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome, where the median nerve in the wrist is compressed, causing tingling, pain or numbness in the fingers, or after trauma to a limb. Or it may be generalised, affecting many nerves – polyneuropathy.
Causes include diabetes, vitamin B12 deficiency, coeliac, excessive alcohol, hypothyroidism, chronic liver or kidney disease, autoimmune inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and infections like HIV and Lyme disease.
Some medications can be responsible, including cancer chemotherapies, some…
