Your peripheral nerves convert information about the outside world into nerve signals. Those signals then travel to your brain, which processes those signals into what you can sense of the world around you. Peripheral neuropathy can disrupt what your senses pick up from the outside world or the ability of those senses to communicate with your brain.   The sensory symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:   Tingling. This happens when there’s a problem with nerves that carry signals to your brain. This is like radio static you hear when you’re too far from the broadcasting station. Numbness. This happens when nerves can’t send or relay sensory signals, causing the loss of specific types of sensations. An example of this would be picking up a cold pop can, but not feeling the smoothness or coldness of the can, or not being able to feel the texture of carpet or the temperature of the floor through your feet. Imbalance and clumsiness. Nerves also carry sensations that your brain uses to keep track of the location of your hands and feet. You’re not consciously aware of these sensations, but they’re critical for balance and coordination. Without these sensations, you can experience a loss of balance, especially in the dark, and clumsiness with your hands. Pain. Nerve damage from peripheral neuropathy can cause malfunctions in how and when nerves send pain signals, making pain signals more intense (hyperalgesia) or happen too easily (allodynia). It can even cause nerves to generate pain signals spontaneously. This is known as “neuropathic” pain, and it’s the most noticeable and disruptive symptom of peripheral neuropathy.