Diabetes leads to high levels of glucose in the blood. Without careful management, this can cause damage throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that results from diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy can affect different bodily functions. This affects the peripheral nervous system, and symptoms commonly appear in the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Another type is focal neuropathy, which includes carpal tunnel syndrome. Around half of all people with diabetes develop neuropathy within 25 years of their diabetes diagnosis, according to a study published in These types of nerve damage are not reversible.
However, in this article, we look at ways to slow the progression of diabetic neuropathy, ease symptoms, and reduce the risk of further harm. Diabetic neuropathy is a family of progressive nerve disorders that can develop when a person has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Experts believe that this neuropathy develops when high levels of sugar and fats, such as triglycerides, in the blood damage nerve cells and fibers. High blood glucose levels can also damage the blood vessels, including the small vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves.
Peripheral neuropathy can cause a range of symptoms, including pain, loss of sensation, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness. Autonomic neuropathy can lead to problems with digestion, such as gastroparesis, in which the stomach is not able to move food into the small intestine effectively. Controlling blood sugar levels from the earliest stages of diabetes is one way to prevent diabetic neuropathy.
What are healthy blood glucose levels? We investigate. Attending routine screening for type 2 diabetes after the age of 45 — or before, if a person has obesity or other risk factors — can tell a person whether they have high levels of blood sugar. If the levels are slightly high but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, a person may have prediabetes. It is often possible to reverse prediabetes through lifestyle changes, involving diet and exercise, for example.
Making these changes can reduce the risk of complications such as diabetic neuropathy. The following symptoms could indicate diabetic neuropathy. If a person notices any of these, they should see a doctor:. In a person with diabetes, these can signal the onset of diabetic neuropathy. In a person who does not have a diabetes diagnosis, these symptoms could indicate that their blood sugar levels are high and that they have the condition.
In either case, controlling blood sugar levels may help prevent the condition from getting worse. When a person has diabetes, the doctor will work with them to develop a treatment plan, which may involve medication and lifestyle changes.
A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables will provide fiber, vitamins , minerals, and antioxidants. These can boost overall well-being and help keep blood sugar down. However, high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in the bloodstream can increase the risk of nerve damage, according to NIDDK. How can we help you? Phone: Get Directions. Follow Follow Follow Follow Got Neuropathy? Gotta Run? Sex Education Reviews Blog Contact. We Can Help. Take your medications.
Do your exercises. Peripheral neuropathy cannot be reversed. Is this all there is to look forward to? Treatment options include: Laser therapy. Advanced therapeutic lasers harness the energy of light to stimulate healing in body tissues, including nerves. Several beneficial biological processes are triggered, including reduction in swelling which relieves pressure on nerves , increase flow of oxygen and nutrients, tissue regeneration, and more.
Radiofrequency nerve ablation. This innovative technique allows us to target a specific nerve or group of nerves with an electrical current and effectively switch them off. Guided cortisone injections.
We combine cortisone injections with our in-office ultrasound device, and of course Dr. This allows us to deliver the injections to precisely the correct location. Decompression surgery. Over time, this can cause irreparable damage to the soft tissue and lead to the loss of toes or even your foot. Damage to the nerves in your legs can lead to something called a Charcot joint. This results in swelling, numbness, and lack of joint stability.
Nerves impact the function of sweat glands, so damage to nerves could affect the functioning of your sweat glands. This can lead to anhydrosis, also known as reduced sweating, or hyperhidrosis, also known as excess sweating. As a result, this may affect body temperature regulation. Nerves play an important role in managing the bladder and urinary system. If the nerves that affect these systems are damaged, this can lead to the inability to recognize when the bladder is full and poor control of urination.
Neuropathy is most commonly caused by diabetes, but it may be caused by other conditions, including:. However, you can manage it through a variety of ways. These include:. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a painful condition caused by nerve damage from diabetes.
Read on to learn about the symptoms. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious but common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes that usually develops gradually, over many years. Learn about…. Peripheral neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling, and chronic pain.
Unhealthy levels of blood sugars can damage your nerves, so anyone with diabetes is at risk. This includes people who are pre-diabetic, whose blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to qualify them as fully diabetic, and patients with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure and blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and excess body fat around the waist. Diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy is fairly straightforward. We do a physical exam and look at your medical history—diabetes does tend to run in families, which seems to involve a combination of genetics and lifestyle.
The treatment is very simple. All forms of diabetic neuropathy can be controlled and even reversed by controlling your diabetes, which means monitoring and controlling your blood sugar, lowering your triglycerides and maintaining a healthy weight. A heart-healthy diet is important, but exercise is even more important: I recommend to my patients at least 30 minutes a day. Because it increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain and nerves, exercise is the one thing we know of that has the power to improve nerve damage.
For patients who need immediate pain relief, we can prescribe a range of medications that include anticonvulsants and antidepressants or a topical medicine like lidocaine. But I tell my patients these drugs are not a good long-term solution and some have their own serious side effects.
Physical therapy can be helpful if you need help working through the pain of beginning an exercise program.
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