Neuritides: clinical picture, diagnostic criteria and main directions of therapy. Prevention
Treatment of various types of neuritises
Neuritis is a disease that affects peripheral nerves and leads to changes in their structure. Treatment of neuritises depends on the exact localization of the pathology and the degree of its severity.
Optic neuritis
It is most often diagnosed in young patients and has distinctive symptoms:
- pain in the vision organ;
- difficulty in the movement of the eyeball;
- blurry vision;
- colors are not perceived as bright;
- objects look blurry.
Optic neuritis is treated using complex therapy. Doctors prescribe medications that improve blood circulation in small vessels and the conduction of nerve fibers. It is imperative to undergo a course of vitamin therapy, adjust nutrition and be under the supervision of a specialist. The disease often becomes chronic, then it is more advisable to use supporting therapy carried out in courses at least twice a year.
Neuritis of trifacial nerve
It is most often caused by undercooling. The disease may also occur in the result of a head injury at the background of a severe inflammatory process in maxillary sinuses.
Neuritis of trifacial nerve has distinctive symptoms:
- there are no frontal folds on the side of the damaged nerve;
- the palpebral fissure is significantly enlarged;
- the lower lip moves down on one side.
A patient loses the ability to activate the facial muscles, the face becomes a "stone". Against the background of all the listed symptoms, acute intolerable pain occurs. It can be persistent or manifest intermittently.
The condition requires hospital treatment, anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications are prescribed, as well as physical therapy. The duration of therapy is variable, it may take several weeks. After recovery, a patient continues to adhere to preventive measures and avoid hypothermia, injuries, infectious diseases.
Neuritis of peroneal nerve
With this diagnosis, the following symptoms in the lower limbs are observed:
- the foot hangs, which makes it impossible to stand even with the support on the heel;
- gait changes dramatically – severe lameness appears;
- the sensitivity of the soft tissues on the affected side of the leg decreases.
A doctor prescribes therapy, but after the diagnosis is finally confirmed, neuritis should be differentiated from other problems on the part of the musculoskeletal system. In addition to pharmacological therapy, physical activity is of great importance. After the attenuation of acute pain and a decrease in the inflammatory process, the patient must perform the prescribed therapeutic exercises for neuritis of the peroneal nerve. Often it is physiotherapy that helps to transfer the disease into a state of long-term remission and restore motor functions of the limb.
Neuritis of radial nerve
Neuritis of the radial nerve is caused by an injury to the forearm or wrist. In this case, a patient develops a syndrome of a drooping hand or a drooping arm, and motor functions are impaired. At the beginning, a patient complains of the problems with flexion and extension of the hand, impaired functioning of the upper limb for a long time.
The treatment will last long, a massage course and a set of physical exercises must be prescribed, as it helps to improve the functionality of the hand.
Neuritis of auditory nerve
Acute cochlear neuritis, which is manifested by hearing impairment, is the most common type of ENT neuritis. A patient will be complaining of buzzing in ears independently of the hearing level, sounds can be of a various nature. The development of pathology is accompanied by a severe headache and pain in the ear. Pain medications may not relieve the patient’s condition.
The inflammatory process causes the symptoms of acoustic neuritis:
- ear popping, sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the ear;
- itching in the ear canal, sometimes unbearable;
- hearing loss, partial at first, then it may be complete without proper treatment;
- continuous ringing in the ears.
Often the nerve, which transmits nerve impulses from the vestibular apparatus to the brain, is involved in the pathological process. In this case, vestibular neuritis develops. It is accompanied by intense pain, dizziness and nausea, and an unsteady gait.
Neurologists and an ENT specialists work in the field of the treatment of neuritis of the auditory nerve. Pharmacological therapy and regular monitoring of the dynamics of pathology development are required. If there are no positive results in 2–3 days of treatment, the tactics should be changed and the prescriptions should be corrected. Lack of proper therapy results in complete deafness and the spread of the inflammatory process to the brain tissue.
Neuritis of the nerves of the upper limbs
Most often, the disease affects ulnar and brachial nerves. Symptoms with such a localization of the pathology will be identical:
- joint mobility problems;
- severe pain in the entire upper limb;
- inability to raise, lower, bend or straighten a limb, raise a load.
In case of the ulnar neuritis, massage is the main purpose after medically induced decline of the inflammatory process and the attenuation of acute symptoms. In case of brachial neuritis, gymnastics becomes the main factor in recovery, and gymnastic exercises should be continued after obtaining positive results. During the acute phase of pathology, any loads on the affected arm are prohibited. Doctors recommend immobilizing the upper limb in the shoulder joint.
You can find out more about how neuritis manifests and how to treat retrobulbar neuritis at an appointment with a specialist. You can book an appointment on the pages of our website.
Article author - Irina Pepenina, M.D.
Publication date: 05.01.2021
Read more about neurology at Dobrobut
Our services
Our advantages
Our doctors
Our clinics
Do you want to get an online explanation of a doctor from Dobrobut clinic chain?
Download our application in Google Play and App Store
@2x.png){kind=small}
@2x.png){kind=small}
ISO certificates
Accreditation certificates
Medical practice licenses
%402x.png)
%402x.png)
