02/12/2022 / Endocrinology & Diabetes
Diabetes can do the worst things to your body. One such is neuropathy where your nerves get damaged and cause pain.
Diabetes had been a pandemic for the past decade but made fewer headlines than the COVID pandemic. But this does not mean that diabetes can be taken less seriously. Diabetes should be taken as seriously as we all have taken the virus. Diabetes can seem harmless in the initial stages but they slowly kill you by damaging your organs and nervous systems. One such effect is diabetic neuropathy where your nerves get affected resulting in various sensations like pain, numbness, tingling and burning. In this article, you will learn about the symptoms, types and ways to prevent diabetic neuropathy.
There are various types of neuropathy depending on the location of the damaged nerve fibres. Here are those neuropathic types and symptoms,
Peripheral neuropathy usually occurs in the feet, legs, arms, abdomen, and back. Below are some of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy,
Numbness
Tingling
Burning
Pain
It usually affects the digestive system (stomach), blood vessels, urinary system and sex organs. Here are the symptoms of autonomic neuropathy,
Feeling full after small meals
Vomiting
Nausea
Heartburn
Diarrhea
Constipation
Bloating
Proximal neuropathy usually occurs in the thighs, hips, or buttocks. Here are the symptoms,
Weakness in thighs/buttocks
Pain in hips/buttocks/thighs
It affects specific nerves in the head, torso, or leg causing pain and weakness. Here are the symptoms of focal neuropathy,
Eye pain
Double vision
Chest or belly pain
Severe back pains
Paralysis on one side of the face (Bell's palsy)
Though diabetes is the primary cause of diabetic neuropathy, various other risk factors can initiate or aggravate the condition. Here are some of the common risk factors,
If diabetes is left untreated for a long time, you can be easily affected by diabetic neuropathy.
Having a BMI of more than 25 can increase the risk of getting diabetic neuropathy.
Since smoking constricts the arteries and makes the blood supply difficult, the wounds take a lot of time to heal and can aggravate diabetic neuropathy.
Having kidney damage makes it difficult for the blood to filter out toxins, thereby affecting the nerves.
Having high blood sugars without proper treatment can trigger and aggravate nerve damage.
Diabetic neuropathy doesn't stop with just affecting your nervous system. It would open up a series of new complications that would affect other organ systems,
Hypoglycemia usually causes symptoms like shakiness, sweating and a fast heartbeat but if you are affected by diabetic neuropathy, you would not sense these symptoms.
Nerve damages affect your body's ability to regulate blood pressure, thereby causing regular fainting and lightheadedness.
Nerve damage can affect your ability to withhold or pass urine. If you are not emptying your bladder or holding urine for a long time, it can lead to bacteria buildup and cause bladder infections.
It can damage the nerves that affect the sex organs causing erectile dysfunction in men and difficulty in vaginal wetness in women.
Nerve damage can damage sweat glands and make thermoregulation difficult for your body.
Losing your nervous sensations can turn even your minor injuries into serious infections, causing foot or toe amputations.
Though the effects of diabetic neuropathy can't be reversed, you can manage the symptoms well through certain lifestyle changes like,
Blood sugars are the real antagonists in causing ill effects on your nervous system. Sugars in your blood reduce the capability and functionality of your nerves, making you lose sensations and nerve signals. So, the best and most effective way to stay away from diabetic neuropathy is to manage your blood sugars at optimum levels. Have regular health checkups which help you in knowing your fitness status and blood sugar levels.
Having proper foot care is very essential if you have diabetic neuropathy. There are higher probabilities of serious infection since the pain sensations are reduced (due to damaged nerves) and minor cuts may turn to pus-filled wounds in no time. If the infections are serious enough, you may need to amputate your foot. For avoiding all these, you need to check your foot regularly and take care of them properly. Here are some tips to keep your foot insulated from diabetic neuropathy,
Wear shoes that fit well.
Take care of your toenails.
Use lotion on your feet for reducing dryness.
Check your feet and legs daily.
Avoid standing up too quickly or for too long.
Don't Walk on bare feet, especially in the hot sun.
Though you can just have proper blood sugar control to manage neuropathy, you need regular medical checkups. You have to immediately consult your endocrinologist if you are having,
Unusual tingling
Weakness in your limbs
Pain in feet or limbs
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that occurs due to high blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
Diabetic history, obesity, kidney diseases, and smoking habits are the risk factors for diabetic neuropathy.
There are four types of neuropathy - peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy and mononeuropathy.
Having proper foot care and blood sugar management can prevent diabetic neuropathy.
You don't need to constantly worry about diabetic neuropathy even if you have type 2 diabetes as you can easily prevent it by maintaining the optimum blood sugar levels and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Yes! Neuropathy makes you lose the sense of pain and wounds which aggravates even minor infections and requires amputations of limbs.
Managing blood sugar levels, doing regular exercises, having healthy foods and avoiding excess alcohol levels can help you in managing the neuropathic effects.
High blood sugar levels which go unnoticed or are ill-managed for a long time trigger diabetic neuropathy.
No! You can reverse the effects caused by diabetic neuropathy. But you can surely manage the further damages.
If people don't manage their blood sugars well, diabetic neuropathy wouldn't take more than a decade to kill them.
Diabetic neuropathy usually starts to affect the nerves in the legs and feet.
Some topical ointments, SSRIs, Cymbalta, and Wellbutrin can help you in managing neuropathic pain better.
Yes! Massages for your hand and feet can help you in managing the pain and tingling sensations of neuropathy.
There's no cure for diabetic neuropathy. You can't reverse the already occurring effects, but you can surely live a good life by managing your food and lifestyle habits.
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