Diabetes and neuropathy are both very difficult conditions to have to contend with, and when they are both present, life can be extremely hard for a person to live. Diabetes neuropathy is one of the worst complications to come about from diabetes. Current studies show that 60% to 70% of people with diabetes suffer from some form of neuropathy, even if it is just a mild form.
So, what is neuropathy in diabetes like? Neuropathy in diabetes develops slowly. What happens is high blood sugar levels damage the nerves of the body. Neuropathy diabetes symptoms often include sensations of pain, numbness, tingling, or burning. According to RightDiagnosis.com these abnormal sensations will also extend to your legs, hands, and arms over time.
When a person has diabetes with neuropathy, the muscles can also become affected. This can lead to muscle weakness or a person may have difficulty moving their feet. Eventually it may even cause a foot deformity or atrophy, which is a condition in which tissue wastes away. Sometimes neuropathy and diabetes affect the functions of organs such as the bladder or the kidney, and often even affect a person’s gastrointestinal system.
How Does Diabetes Cause Neuropathy?
As mentioned above, neuropathy from diabetes is caused by elevated blood sugar levels, but it doesn’t happen all at once. This nerve damage is mostly found in people who have had diabetes for many years. There are times, however, when the first symptoms of diabetes a person notices is tingling in their toes or numbness in their feet. If you have high blood sugar levels often you are likely to get it much earlier than someone who controls their blood sugar levels well.
So, how do high glucose (sugar) levels damage nerves? Experts say there are two main possibilities. The hypothesis is that something chemically irritates the nerve sheath, whether it is blood sugar or a derivative that comes from the metabolism of sugar. Once this sheath is ruined, the bare nerve is uncovered, and it is basically like an exposed electrical wire. It will cause pain at first, but eventually the sensation is completely lost (Diabetes.Blogspot.com, 2012).
The other hypothesis is that damage to the circulatory system, caused by diabetes, leads to a depletion of the blood supply to the nerves. Without nourishment the nerves are eventually destroyed. There is evidence to support both theories, and it is possible to say that both scenarios could cause diabetes and neuropathy.
Autonomic Neuropathy Diabetes
Most of the time when people are referring to diabetes and neuropathy, they are talking about peripheral neuropathy. This is the type of neuropathy that begins in the feet and hands. Autonomic neuropathy is a form of peripheral neuropathy; it is a group of symptoms, not a disease. Autonomic involves the nerves which affect many of our involuntary body functions such as our heart rate, blood pressure level, perspiration, and digestion. The signs and symptoms of the condition depend on which nerves are affected. For instance:
- Symptoms of gastrointestinal nerve damage include constipation, diarrhea, feeling full only after a few bites, nausea after eating, a swollen abdomen, or vomiting up undigested food.
- Symptom of nerve damage to the heart and lungs include blood pressure changes, dizziness when standing, or shortness of breath when active.
- Symptoms of nerve damage in the urinary tract could include difficulty urinating, feeling as though your bladder is not completely emptying, or urinary incontinence.
- Other general symptoms may include abnormal sweating, heart trouble when exercising or being active, male impotence, vaginal dryness, and unexplained weight loss.
If you notice any symptoms of diabetes and neuropathy, it is best to visit your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner a diagnosis takes place, the sooner further damage can be prevented. If you suspect you have some form of diabetes neuropathy, you can begin your treatment now by taking care not to let your blood sugar levels get too high until you can see your doctor.
