COVID-19 Can Damage Your Nerves, Lead To Numbness In Arms: Symptoms Of Peripheral Neuropathy To Look Out For

Not only the lungs, but COVID-19 infection can also wreck havoc on your nervous system as well. In a recent study, experts have shown the effect of the COVID virus on the nerves. According to the study, once infected by the coronavirus, a person can experience symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, such as numbness in the hands and feet, tingling, pain in muscles. The study, published in the journal Pain says that people who tested positive for the deadly COVID virus infection, are three times more likely to suffer from symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy than others.

Symptoms Seen Among COVID Patients

Some of the warning symptoms of this effect of COVID virus infection include – pain in the muscle, numbness in arms and feet, tingling in the hands, etc. Speaking to the media about the study results, co-author Simon Haroutounian from the Washington University said, “Several viral infections, such as HIV and shingles, are associated with peripheral neuropathy because viruses can damage the nerves completely.

How Long Can Patient Experience The Symptoms?

Talking about the period in which the patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 are most likely to experience the symptoms of this condition, experts say that about 30 per cent complained about the condition during the initial days of infection, while for some the symptoms were persistent even after two months post-recovery.

Peripheral Neuropathy – Causes, Risk Factors And More

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that is a result of damage to the nerves. These are nerves that are located outside of the brain and spinal cord usually known as the peripheral nerves.

Symptoms

Two of the most common symptoms associated with this condition are Hypoesthesia and Muscle weakness. These two can also lead to sudden numbness and pain in the hands and feet. Some of the other symptoms can also include -indigestion, frequent urge to pee or urination, etc.

Other symptoms may include –

1. Fever or rise in body temperature
2. Improper bladder function
3. Fluctuating blood pressure
4. Perspiration
5. Uneven heart rate
6. Sharp, jabbing, throbbing, or burning pain
7. Lack of co-ordination
8. Partial paralysis
9. Excessive sweating
10. Extreme tiredness or fatigue

Causes

Apart from COVID-19 infection, peripheral neuropathy can also be caused due to several other factors, some of them are –

1. Autoimmune diseases
2. Diabetes
3. Unknown infections
4. Inherited disorders
5. Tumors
6. Problems in the bone marrow

Some of the other common causes can be –

1. Exposure to harmful chemicals or poisons
2. Medications
3. Vitamin B deficiency
4. History of nerve injury