In its most advanced stages it can almost completely incapacitate the patient. Nerve damage Poliomyelitis is a viral infection that attacks nerves controlling the muscles and in severe cases causes paralysis. It was once a major crippler of children, but since vaccines became available in the 1950s, the disease has all but disappeared. Neuropathy is any inflammation of the nerves . This sometimes produces paralysis.
General neuropathy affects all the peripheral nerves of a large region.
Causes include poisoning by such toxic substances as mercury, lead, and arsenic. Some bacterial and viral infections, including mumps , diphtheria , and syphilis , also produce general neuropathy. Diabetes mellitus some vitamin deficiency diseases, and alcoholism are other causes of general neuropathy. The paralysis and associated symptoms that come with these disorders usually clear up once the disease has been neutralized or the toxic substance has been removed from the patient's system. Neuropathy of only a single nerve is also a possibility.