What does it mean to have diabetes finger numbness? Normally diabetes finger numbness is a sign of peripheral neuropathy. This is a serious condition in which nerves are damaged by years of high glucose levels in the bloodstream. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common type of diabetes found in diabetes. It is the type of neuropathy which begins in the hands and the feet and spreads up the arms and legs. Eventually, peripheral neuropathy can lead to nerve damage in internal organs.
If you have diabetes finger numbness, you should bring it to the attention of your physician. Early intervention of this type of nerve damage is critical. If the diabetes finger numbness is allowed to continue, it could lead to a finger (or fingers) to have to be amputated. The first and most important part of treatment of peripheral neuropathy is keeping good control of blood sugar levels. This can be done by keeping a healthy diet, which is low in carbohydrates, and by exercising regularly.
Other Causes of Diabetes Finger Numbness
Although peripheral neuropathy is a major cause of diabetes finger numbness, you cannot rule out other possibilities. Diabetics can have any of the conditions anyone else can have, and diabetes finger numbness does not have to be caused by the disease directly. Here are some of the other likely causes:
- Peripheral artery disease, sometimes called peripheral vascular disease, is caused by the narrowing of the arteries because of the buildup of fat and cholesterol on the artery walls. It is a likely cause of diabetes finger numbness because diabetic tend to have problems with high cholesterol, blood pressure, and vascular problems.
- Hyperthyroidism may be another cause of diabetes finger numbness. Diabetics have a higher prevalence of thyroid disease than the normal population; this is especially true for type 1 diabetics. In fact, it has been found that up to 30% of female type 1 diabetics have thyroid disease.
- Diabetes finger numbness can be a pre-symptom of stroke. This is particularly true if the diabetes finger numbness is happening on only one side of the body. This should be a serious concern for diabetics, as people with diabetes are 4 times more likely to have a stroke than non-diabetics, according to Stroke.org.
Whatever the reason may be, finger numbness diabetes symptoms should be checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. In diabetes, conditions continue to grow worse, and at a rapid pace, if the conditions are not handled quickly or correctly. In conclusion, the earlier diabetes finger numbness is attended to, the less likely it is to cause irreversible harm.
