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Reverse diabetic neuropathy with the help of Dr. Bao ThaiType diabetes complications nerves -
It can affect virtually any nerve in the body, with a wide range of symptoms. Nerves are essential to how the body works. They enable people to move, send messages about how things feel, and control automatic functions, such as breathing.
There are several types. Some involve the peripheral nerves, while others damage the nerves that supply the internal organs, such as the heart, the bladder, and the gut.
In this way, it can affect many body functions. Between one-third and a half of people with diabetes have neuropathy, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIDDK. The signs and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy usually take several years to appear.
Signs and symptoms will depend on which type of neuropathy and nerves it affects. Peripheral neuropathy that affects the feet can make it difficult for a person to stand and walk.
It can increase the risk of falling. For example, a blister on the foot can become ulcerated because the person did not feel pain in the early stages.
As the infection progresses, gangrene can develop. Click here to find out more about peripheral neuropathy. Proximal neuropathy can lead to pain in the lower body, often on one side, and weakness in the legs.
Symptoms of focal neuropathy can vary widely, depending on the nerve affected. Focal neuropathy and cranial neuropathy can both lead to visual disturbances, such as double vision.
People with diabetic neuropathy often do not realize they have it until the symptoms are more advanced. Not all of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are visible, but people should be aware of any wounds on their feet.
Other tests may include a check of blood pressure and fluctuations in heart rate. The first step for people with any type is to bring blood sugars within a target range agreed with a doctor and manage high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Managing glucose levels will minimize the risk of diabetic neuropathy. A key part of treatment focuses on reducing pain and managing some of the symptoms.
Certain medications and types of physical therapy can help to control the pain of diabetic neuropathy, alongside other treatments. However, they cannot repair the nerves. People should also avoid or stop smoking and limit their alcohol intake to a maximum of one drink a day for women and two for men.
A person with diabetic neuropathy might use other types of antidepressants, such as serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors, to target other painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Topical lotions, compound creams, and some supplements, such as ALA or topical capsaicin, may also provide relief.
Capsaicin cream is available for purchase online. Physical therapy, used in combination with medications, might help relieve pain and reduce the risk of dependency on opioids.
Electrical nerve stimulation is a painless type of physical therapy that might help to reduce feelings of stiffness and enhance the healing of foot ulcers. Gait training involves relearning how to walk. It helps to prevent and stabilize foot complications, such as ulcers and injury.
This type of physical re-education is crucial for people using prosthesis after losing limbs if diabetic neuropathy leads to an amputation. A good physical therapist will ensure that exercises for people with diabetic neuropathy do not hurt the feet, which can be sensitive.
Other therapies include devices that a person can use to keep painful or sensitive extremities from touching the bed or chair. A chiropractor, massage therapist, or osteopath can carry out regular massages or manual therapy to stretch the muscles.
Massage can inhibit muscle contractions, spasms, and atrophy due to poor blood supply. Specific exercises, such as swimming or aerobics, can help an individual develop and maintain muscle strength and reduce the loss of muscle mass.
Therapeutic ultrasound is another type of physical therapy that uses very high-frequency sound waves to stimulate the tissue beneath the skin. This can help some people to regain sensitivity in their feet. Diabetic neuropathy can contribute to a number of high-risk complications, ranging from heart rate changes to visual disturbances.
This can lead to an inability to feel cuts or sores, and infection might occur as a result. Untreated infection in a limb can result in the need for amputation. Smoking also increases the risk of foot problems in people with certain types of diabetic neuropathy.
A podiatrist can help with foot care, and a healthcare provider can give advice on quitting smoking. Each affects a different set of nerves and has a different range of effects.
Autonomic neuropathy harms automatic processes in the body, such as digestion. Peripheral neuropathy damages nerves in the toes, fingers, hands, and feet. Diagnosis includes a range of scans, and tests for ankle reflexes, sensation, and skin texture and tone.
Treatment involves several types of physical therapy and medication to control pain and nerve conduction. As people with diabetic neuropathy tend not to feel injuries on the feet, regular inspection of the feet is necessary to avoid undetected infection and the possible loss of limbs. The best way to minimize diabetic neuropathy is by maintaining good blood sugar control and regular foot care.
If you take Metformin for a long time, which is a commonly used medication in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, consider having a Vitamin B12 level checked as well, as Metformin can lower the B12 level which can also cause neuropathy.
Maria Prelipcean, MD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice. It most commonly affects the nerves to the feet and hands, but any nerves can be involved, including those that control internal organs autonomic nerves.
Up to half of all people with diabetes develop neuropathy during the course of their disease. There is no cure. Management aims to ease symptoms and reduce the risk of further complications.
Most people with diabetic neuropathy are unaware that they have nerve damage, until it is picked up on routine screening by their doctor. Typical symptoms vary from person to person, but may include one or more of numbness, pins and needles , tingling, discomfort, or weakness, which usually begin in both feet and spread symmetrically up the legs.
About half of those people with diabetic neuropathy experience significant pain in their feet and increased sensitivity to painful stimuli known as neuropathic pain or painful neuropathy. Neuropathic pain is often worse at night, and can seriously disrupt sleep patterns.
The autonomic nerves, which regulate the functioning of organs and glands without our conscious effort, can also be damaged by diabetes. This is called autonomic neuropathy and may cause a range of problems including:.
High glucose and lipid fat levels in the blood, and the toxic byproducts they generate through their metabolism, are thought to be the major causes of neuropathy associated with diabetes.
The benefits of good glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes are more modest. Improving lipid levels may also reduce the incidence of nerve damage in people with type 2 diabetes. The longer a person has diabetes and the worse the control of their diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic neuropathy.
People experiencing complications of their diabetes elsewhere in their body such as in the kidneys , heart or eyes are also more likely to have or develop neuropathy, as the same factors that cause these problems also contribute to neuropathy.
Smoking , high blood pressure and being overweight also make it more likely that people with diabetes will get nerve damage. Damaged nerves cannot be repaired. However, the risk of further complications in the feet can be reduced by:.
A referral to a podiatrist may be appropriate for assessment and ongoing preventive management of foot complications. Appropriate pain management can significantly improve the lives of people with diabetes and painful neuropathy.
A number of different medications are available, which produce comparable effects. Most people would begin with one of either:. If one type fails to provide the response required, it is usual to switch to or add another. If all 3 agents alone or in combination fail, then opioid analgesics and tramadol may be used as second-line treatments.
Be guided by your doctor, but general suggestions to reduce the risk of diabetic neuropathy include:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only.
Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
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Type diabetes complications nerves damage nervex Type diabetes complications nerves Collagen Boosting Foods people with diabetes is cmplications diabetic neuropathy. This Thpe is a complication of diiabetes. Diabetes can damage the nerves and cause a complication called neuropathy. This generally begins as loss of sensation in the toes, and possibly fingers. Eventually, the neuropathy can move up the person's legs or arms. The central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes all peripheral nerves.
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