Neuropathy and Diabetes
Neuropathy can be another unfortunate complication of diabetes. There are types of neuropathy that I will explain here for your better understanding of it. Neuropathy defined is damage to the nerves that make you feel the sensations such as pain, hot, or cold. Diabetes damages the nerves in a number of ways; but the main reason is blood glucose that is too high for sustained periods of time. Neuropathy can be painful, but not beyond tolerance painful. There are four types of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy The feet and legs are most affected in peripheral neuropathy. The nerve damages in your feet or legs result in losses of sensations, increasing your risk of more foot problems. Sores, injuries, and ulcers on the feet may not even been noticed due to lack of feelings. This is why it is important to practice good thorough foot care as I mentioned in another article here. Something that is not all that common but may happen is lack of sensations in the arms, abdomen, and back. Common symptoms of neuropathy are: tingling, numbness, of which may be severe or long-term, burning sensations, and also pain. When your blood sugar is under control, you can avoid this problem. There are other preventive measures you can take such as examining your feet and legs on a daily basis, applying lotion helps if your feet are dry, care for your nails regularly, and you should also wear properly fitting shoes and other footwear to avoid injuries to your feet and legs. Diabetic Proximal Neuropathy does cause pain usually on one side or the other of the thighs, hips, or buttocks. It often leads to a weakness in the legs. You usually need treatments for weakness or pain with medications, and some physical therapy. How your recovery is varies and hinges on the nerve damage present. Diabetic Focal Neuropathy affects certain nerves and often appears suddenly. It can also appear in the head, torso, or your legs, and causes a great deal of muscle weakness,and/or pain. Signs of focal neuropathy include double vision, eye pain, severe pain in a certain area such as the back or legs, and Bell's Palsy which is weakness on one side of the face. Overall, to prevent serious problems with neuropathies, it is wisest to control your blood sugars in as many ways as possible. Keeping them under that 140 mark is best, and really prevents this serious problem in the first place.
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