Dear Advice Doctor,

One of my co-workers is always asking me for advice about all her problems. I don’t want to come across as critical, so I would try to gently suggest possible solutions instead of telling her she’s doing this or that wrong. Well, apparently I somehow touched a raw nerve because last week she suddenly clammed up completely. She barely acknowledged my presence all week. Should I ask her what I said wrong, or just be glad I’m not her amateur psychiatrist anymore?

Dear Enjoying,

I understand how uncomfortable this is for you, but it might ease your pain a little to know that nationwide more than 3 million people suffer from just one aspect of raw nerves, the one known as peripheral neuropathy.

The not-so-comforting aspect, though, is that this can be a chronic condition. Sometimes it manifests as sharp pain, sometimes as a burning sensation or a pins-and-needles feeling, and sometimes (thankfully, some sufferers say) as numbness.

Many cases of tingling nerves are idiopathic, meaning the cause is unknown, but the most common known trigger is diabetes. High levels of blood sugar can damage nerves, which is why it is so important for diabetics to regularly and frequently check their blood sugar and do the best job they can to manage and control their diabetes. Testing once a day can be just asking for trouble.

Sometimes neuropathy can be caused by poor diet (sometimes paired with alcoholism), injury, as a side effect of medications — especially chemotherapy drugs — or from diseases other than diabetes, like shingles, HIV, hepatitis C, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.

While it might be tempting to self-medicate or consult “Doctor Google,” anyone with peripheral neuropathy really needs to consult a physician to see if the cause can be identified. That offers the best chance of getting relief. You and your doctor can hopefully manage or even stop the underlying condition causing the neuropathy, and in the meantime offer pain-relieving medications and lifestyle advice that may help keep things from getting worse.

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I hope this answers your question.

Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

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