Diabetic neuropathy
What is diabetic neuropathy?
People with diabetes must regulate their blood sugar levels; they shouldn’t be too high or too low. People who have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels or who have wide swings are at risk of developing nerve damage, called neuropathy, of the peripheral nerves (affecting hand and feet, for example), autonomic (digestions, sexual responses, bowel and bladder), proximal (thighs and hips, for example), and focal (sudden weakness in a nerve or group of nerves in one part of the body). It can take years for this damage to occur. The symptoms usually come on gradually and may not be noticed early on. Once the damage does occur, it is not reversible.
What are the symptoms?
· Changes in vision
· Constipation
· Diarrhea
· Difficulty speaking
· Difficulty swallowing
· Dizziness
· Droopy eyelids, mouth, facial muscles
· Impotence (inability to have an erection)
· Incontinence, loss of bladder control
· Muscle cramps
· Numbness and/or tingling (pins and needles) to body parts
· Weakness
· Vaginal dryness
Why does it cause pain?
The burning or tingling sensation from the nerves can range from mildly annoying to being excruciatingly painful. As well, people with diabetic neuropathy that affects the feet can develop sores on their feet and not notice them until they have gotten quite deep or infected. This can lead to long-term problems or even gangrene, requiring intensive treatment or amputation. Amputation can lead to other long-term pain issues, such as phantom limb pain.
What can be done?
The important thing about diabetic neuropathy is to try to prevent it from happening in the first place. Once the symptoms are noticed, the damage has been done to the nerves over a long period of time.
There are some medications that may help relieve the pain and discomfort, and strict foot care is essential to prevent sores from developing or to catch them in the early stages.
For more in-depth information, here are some sites that have reliable and up-to-date information:
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Clinical trials for diabetic neuropathy
Tags: chronic-pain-diabetes, diabetic-neuropathy
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