Complications

Complications of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease vary in severity from person to person. Foot abnormalities and difficulty walking are usually the most serious problems. Muscles may get weaker, and you may injure areas of the body that experience decreased sensation.

Sometimes the muscles in your feet may not receive your brain's signal to contract, so you're more likely to trip and fall. And your brain may not receive pain messages from your feet, so if you've rubbed a blister on your toe, for example, it may get infected without your realizing it.

You may also experience difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking if the muscles that control these functions are affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.