Why Do Nerves Degenerate? – Medical News Bulletin

The nervous system is a highly complex system that controls everything your body does. Why does it degenerate as we get older. The most obvious reason for nerve degeneration is simply age. As we get older, our nervous system starts to break down. The reason for this is not fully understood and entire teams of scientists are working around the clock trying to find out the root cause of age-related nerve degeneration. 

However, there are other causes to nerve degeneration that we do have a firm understanding of. This article discusses those other causes in detail and also provides some insight into how people can keep their nervous system healthy as they age. Supplements such as Nerve Control 911 can aid the overall health of your nervous system, as well other supplements and diet and exercise contributing to symptom relief in peripheral neuropathy patients. Continue reading to gain a deeper understanding of the causes of nerve degeneration. 

Overview of Nervous System 

The nervous system is a complex network of cells that control all of your body’s activities. The nervous system is organized into an elaborate network that controls things such as the following:

• Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and sensation 
• Voluntary and involuntary functions, such as movement, balance, and coordination. 
  • The nervous system regulates the actions of most other body systems such as blood flow and blood pressure. 
• The ability to think and reason. The nervous system essentially produces consciousness. 

The Anatomy of the Nervous System

The nervous system is divided between the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system or CNS is encased by the spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).  Nerve degeneration depends on where the problem stems from and what is causing it. 

Nerve degeneration typically occurs as a gradual procedure but they can also occur as sudden, even life-threatening, problems. Symptoms can either be mild or severe and they have many different causes. 

Examples of Nerve Degeneration 

The following are some examples of nerve degeneration

• Blood supply problems (vascular disorders). 
• Injuries (trauma), especially injuries to the head and spinal cord. 
• Problems present from the time of birth. 
• Mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, or psychosis. 
• Exposure to toxins, such as carbon monoxide, arsenic, or lead. 

Examples of degenerative nerve issues include:

• Parkinson’s disease 
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) 
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Huntington’s disease 
• Peripheral neuropathies 

Examples of Infectious Disease That Can Cause Nerve Degeneration 

• Infections of the brain including encephalitis or abscesses. 
• Membrane infections surrounding the brain and spinal cord including meningitis. 

• Overuse of or withdrawal from prescription medication and nonprescription medicines 

Organ Issues That Affect the Nervous System

• Brain tumors 
• Respiratory failure 
• Heart failure 
• Liver failure 
• Kidney failure 

Other Conditions Affecting the Nervous System

• Thyroid dysfunction (overactive or underactive thyroid) 
• High blood sugar (diabetes) or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) 
• Electrolyte problems 
• Nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B1 (thiamine) or vitamin B12 deficiencies. 
• Guillain-Barre syndrome 

Acute Nervous System Issues

Acute nervous issues are those that cause sudden issues and cause many different symptoms, depending on the area of the nervous system involved. Stroke and transient ischemic attacks are common examples of acute problems. You may experience the sudden onset of one or more symptoms such as the following: 

• Numbness, tingling, weakness, or an inability to move part or all of one side of the body. 
• Dimness, blurring, double vision, or loss of vision in one or both eyes. 
• Loss of speech, trouble talking, or trouble understanding speech. 
• Sudden, severe headache 
• Dizziness, unsteadiness, or the inability to stand or walk.
• Confusion or a sudden change of consciousness or behavior. 
• Severe nausea or vomiting.  

Seizures can also cause sudden changes in consciousness, sensation, emotion, or thought. How often seizures occur and their severity depend on the cause of the seizures and the affected area of the brain. 

Diabetes can cause balance issues as a result of either peripheral neuropathy or stroke. Vertigo and dizziness are problems associated with balance and equilibrium. Vertigo is often caused by a medicine or a problem of the inner ear or brain.

Vertigo is another example of a nervous system symptom and it typically results from medicine or a problem in the inner ear or brain. The pain resulting from a headache is typically caused by a central nervous system issue and can present itself as a migraine or a cluster headache. 

How Can You Facilitate Nerve Regeneration?

Gamma Linolenic Acid 

Studies have shown Gamma Linolenic Acid can restore nerve conduction velocity in animals that have sustained a 25% decrease in nerve conduction due to diabetes. It can also be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, stress, and premenstrual syndrome. GLA is derived from borage seed oil, which can reduce pain and swelling, prevent heart disease, or protect against stroke. 

Alpha Lipoic Acid 

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) has been shown to improve diabetic neuropathy symptoms. One trial saw a 52% decrease in the total pain experienced by patients after five weeks of 600 mg ALA. The study took four years to complete and it showed clinically meaningful improvement and it delayed the progression of diabetic neuropathy. ALA has also been attributed to improving blood flow via vasodilation of the brachial artery. 

Benfotiamine 

A study examining the effects of Benfotiamine (Vitamin B-1 found a significant improvement in neuropathy score in the group given benfotiamine. Physicians often prescribe this supplement in Germany as a sciatica and other neuropathic pain complaints. 

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D enhances the absorption of important minerals and can address the types of vitamin deficiencies common to type one or two diabetes. It has also been shown to reduce the severity of diabetic neuropathy. 

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is an essential component facilitating the function of the nervous system, DNA synthesis, and metabolism. It has also been shown to relieve symptoms of paresthesia. Vitamin B-12 restores blood flow, which produces myelin synthesis- a fatty substance protecting nerve fibers. 

Conclusion- Why Do Nerves Degenerate?

Though the most common cause for nerve degeneration is age, there are a number of conditions that can hasten this process. Conditions such as diabetes and Parkinson’s can cause nerve degeneration and it is important to ensure you stay on top of the aspects you can control to reduce your risk of nerve degeneration and try to stay as healthy as possible. 

Supplements such as Nerve Control 911 can aid your nervous system so that you can cope with certain nervous system symptoms and help you with your nervous system’s overall health. Additionally, commiting to a regular exercise routine and eating healthy can help reduce your chances of nervous system ailments such as peripheral neuropathy. 

Image by Colin Behrens from Pixabay 

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