Diabetic
neuropathy is nerve damage that is caused by diabetes. Nerves are bundles of
special tissues that carry signals between your brain and other parts of your
body. Over time, high blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar, and high
levels of fats, such as triglycerides, in the blood from diabetes can damage
your nerves.
High
blood glucose levels can also damage the small blood vessels that nourish your
nerves with oxygen and nutrients. Without enough oxygen and nutrients, your
nerves cannot function well. Your symptoms and treatments
depend on which one of the four diabetic neuropathies you have. Symptoms
can range from pain and numbness in your feet to problems with the functions of
your internal organs such as your heart and bladder.
If
you have diabetes, your chance of developing nerve damage caused by diabetes
increases the older you get and the longer you have diabetes. Managing your
diabetes is an important part of preventing health problems such as diabetic
neuropathy. You are also more likely to develop nerve damage if you have
diabetes and: are overweight, have pressure, have high cholesterol,
have advanced kidney disease,
drink too many
alcoholic drinks, or smoke. Here are the four types of diabetic neuropathy. Do
you have one of these, or know of someone who does?
Peripheral Neuropathy -Peripheral neuropathy is the most common form of neuropathy
caused by diabetes. It affects nerves leading to your extremities—to your
feet, legs, hands, and arms. The nerves going to your feet are the longest
in your body. Because the nerves leading to your feet are so long, it’s most
often these nerves that are damaged. There are more of them to be damaged. This nerve damage
can lead to the foot problems often associated with diabetes, including foot
deformities, infections, ulcers, amputations, and bone and joint pain.
The following symptoms may exist: a tingling or
burning feeling, sharp, jabbing pain that may be worse at night, extreme
sensitivity to the lightest touch — for some people even the weight of a sheet
can be agonizing, muscle weakness, or loss of reflex response.
Autonomic Neuropathy- There
are many functions that happen in your body without you thinking about
them: your heart pumps, you breathe, and your stomach digests
food. Those actions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. More
than 30 percent of people with diabetes have autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic
neuropathy is damage to nerves that control your internal organs, leading to
problems with your heart rate, blood pressure, digestive system, bladder, sex
organs, sweat glands, eyes, and ability to sense hypoglycemia. Diabetes can affect
the nerves in any of these areas, possibly causing:
·
A
lack of awareness that blood sugar levels are low (hypoglycemia unawareness)
·
Bladder
problems, including frequent urinary tract infections or urinary incontinence
or urinary retention
·
Constipation,
uncontrolled diarrhea or a combination of the two
·
Slow
stomach emptying (gastroparesis) leading to nausea, vomiting, sensation of
fullness and loss of appetite
·
Difficulty
swallowing
·
Erectile
dysfunction in men
·
Vaginal
dryness and other sexual difficulties in women
·
Increased
or decreased sweating
·
Sharp
drops in blood pressure when you rise from sitting or lying down, that may
cause you to feel lightheaded or faint (orthostatic hypotension)
·
Problems
regulating your body temperature
·
Changes
in the way your eyes adjust from light to dark
·
Increased
heart rate when you're at rest
Focal
Neuropathy- Focal
neuropathy, which comes on suddenly, most often affects nerves in the head
(especially ones that go to the eyes), hand, torso, and legs. The most common type
of focal neuropathy is carpal tunnel syndrome , in which a nerve
in your wrist is compressed. Although less than 10 percent of people with
diabetes feel symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, about 25 percent of people
with diabetes have some nerve compression at the wrist.
“Diabetes is like
a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs, but it's your choice to scream or
enjoy the ride.”
(Anonymous)
[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Diabetic neuropathy types: Symptoms tell
the story” By
Mayo Clinic Staff
·
“Diabetic
Neuropathy” by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease
·
“Types of Diabetic
Neuropathy” by Daniel J.
Toft
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