Your nerves are an essential part of your body, allowing your brain to communicate with every inch of it. With that said, if you sustain damage to any nerve, you can develop ongoing pain, a lack of sensation, and even a lack of mobility.
Indeed, nerve damage has the potential to be a catastrophic injury, depending on its severity and location. Below, you’ll learn more about nerve damage and how it occurs.
Understanding the Types of Nerve Damage
There are five degrees of nerve damage. The first is the mildest form and doesn’t involve any permanent damage to the axon (nerve fiber). Full recoveries from these injuries are typically possible.
Second-degree nerve damage, called axonotmesis, occurs when the axon is damaged but the connective tissues around it remain intact. The nerve fiber can regrow, so symptoms are also typically temporary at this degree.
Third-degree nerve damage is an injury in which the nerve and most of its surrounding connective tissues are impacted. However, a layer of tissue remains intact, making a full recovery possible, though unlikely. With these injuries, it’s more likely to suffer some form of permanent nerve damage.
With fourth-degree nerve damage, the only intact layer is the top one. This often results in scarring, which prevents nerve regeneration. These injuries can require surgery.
Finally, fifth-degree nerve damage, the most serious nerve injury you can suffer, occurs when the nerve fiber and all of its surrounding tissues are severed. Without receiving surgical intervention, recovery is impossible.
Symptoms of Nerve Damage
The exact symptoms you may experience after suffering nerve damage will depend on the location and the degree of the injury.
If you suffer from peripheral neuropathy, for instance, which refers to an injury to nerves outside of your brain or spinal cord, you can experience any of the following:
- Muscle weakness
- Uncontrolled muscle movements
- Tingling
- Numbness/Lack of sensation
- Lack of balance
- Pain
You can experience autonomic symptoms, too. Your body has numerous processes that occur without you being aware of them, which means nerve damage can lead to things like:
- Sweating either too much or not enough
- Blood pressure changes
- Sexual dysfunction
- Bladder and bowel problems
Nerve damage that occurs in your spinal cord or brain can result in even more intense symptoms. You may have difficulty moving or feeling anything below the site of the injury, or you could suffer significant problems with cognitive function.
Common Causes of Nerve Damage
Nerve damage can occur as a result of injuries suffered in traumatic events, such as car accidents or slip and fall incidents, as well as a result of diseases.
Bone Fractures
When bones break, their edges can rip into nearby tissues, including muscles, ligaments, and nerves. If the displaced bone presses against the nerve, compression symptoms can occur.
Penetrating Injuries and Lacerations
Lacerations and other penetrating injuries can result in severed or otherwise damaged nerves. Even road rash in something like a motorcycle accident can leave you with damaged nerves, seeing as debris (like glass shards and rocks) can cut right through them. If that occurs, you may experience symptoms below the injury site.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural process that helps jumpstart the healing process after an injury. It’s also vital for your immune system’s defense against infections. As tissues swell, however, they can press on your nerves, causing them to do the same.
An inflamed or swollen nerve can cause pain, burning sensations, weakness, and muscle spasms. Thankfully, because the cause of the problem is inflammation, once the swelling fades, these symptoms will, too.
Burns
Once a nerve is burned, it cannot function normally. Nevertheless, it can still cause significant pain because it continues sending signals to the brain.
Illnesses
Several health issues can result in nerve damage, with the most common one being diabetes. If you’re not treated for diabetes in time or monitored closely enough by your doctor, you can suffer diabetic neuropathy, which leads to nerve death.
Certain cancers can also result in these issues. Masses can press against nerves, and even some forms of cancer treatments could weaken them.
Finally, some autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, can also damage nerves, since they involve the immune system attacking healthy body parts, including nerves.
Call the Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers at Rob King & Associates, Trial Lawyers For a Free Consultation
If you have suffered nerve damage because of another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct, one option you have is to file a personal injury claim. These legal actions allow you to receive compensation to address medical expenses, lost wages, and the emotional and physical suffering you have experienced.
However, you’ll need assistance from a team of reputable attorneys to protect your rights and have the best chance of recovering the compensation you deserve.
Contact Rob King & Associates, Trial Lawyers at (317) 916-0000 for a free consultation with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney to discuss your case.
