Symptoms vary according to the type of peripheral neuropathy and may develop quickly or slowly.

The main types of peripheral neuropathy include:

sensory neuropathy – damage to the nerves that carry messages of touch, temperature, pain and other sensations to the brain

motor neuropathy – damage to the nerves that control movement

autonomic neuropathy – damage to the nerves that control involuntary bodily processes, such as digestion, bladder function and control of blood pressure

mononeuropathy – damage to a single nerve outside of the central nervous system

In many cases, someone with peripheral neuropathy may have more than one of these types at the same time.

A combination of sensory and motor neuropathy is particularly common (sensorimotor polyneuropathy).

The symptoms of the main types of peripheral neuropathy are described below.

Sensory neuropathy

Symptoms of sensory neuropathy can include:

prickling and tingling sensation in the affected body part (pins and needles)

numbness and less of an ability to feel pain or changes in temperature, particularly in your feet

a burning or sharp pain, usually in the feet

feeling pain from something that should not be painful at all, such as a very light touch (allodynia)

loss of balance or co-ordination caused by less ability to tell the position of the feet or hands (sensory ataxia)

Motor neuropathy

Symptoms of motor neuropathy can include:

twitching and muscle cramps

muscle weakness or paralysis affecting one or more muscles

thinning (wasting) of muscles

foot drop – difficulty lifting up the front part of your foot and toes, particularly noticeable when walking

Autonomic neuropathy

Damage to the autonomic nerves can result in a wide range of symptoms depending on where in the body the damage occurs.

Symptoms of autonomic neuropathy can include:

constipation or diarrhoea, particularly at night

feeling sick, bloating and belching

low blood pressure (postural or orthostatic hypotension), which can make you feel faint or dizzy when standing up

rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)

excessive sweating or a lack of sweating

problems with sexual function, such as erectile dysfunction in men

difficulty fully emptying your bladder of urine

bowel incontinence (loss of bowel control)

Mononeuropathy

Depending on the specific nerve affected, symptoms of mononeuropathy can include:

altered sensation or weakness in the fingers

double vision or other problems with focusing your eyes, sometimes with eye pain

weakness of one side of your face (Bell’s palsy)

foot or shin pain, weakness or altered sensation

The most common type of mononeuropathy is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The carpal tunnel is a small tunnel in your wrist.

In CTS, the median nerve becomes compressed where it passes through this tunnel, which may cause tingling, pain or numbness in the fingers.