What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

 There are many causes of peripheral neuropathy, including diabetes, hereditary disorders, infections, inflammation, auto-immune diseases, protein abnormalities, exposure to toxic chemicals, poor nutrition, kidney failure, chronic alcoholism, and certain medications – especially those used to treat cancer and HIV/AIDS. In some cases, however, even with extensive evaluation, the cause of a person's peripheral neuropathy remains unknown – this is called idiopathic neuropathy.