Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic Neuropathy is a common complication of Diabetes Mellitus. It usually includes micro vascular injury to the small blood vessels leading to your nerves. Diabetic Neuropathy is damage to nerves caused by the prolonged effect of high sugar levels in the blood.  It is believed that keeping blood sugar levels low or at least constant is the best way to manage diabetes and prevent further complications occurring.

This is a disorder of the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves in the outermost portions of the body (feet, hands, etc.). Recognizing the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are of major importance because to miss them can have life altering or even threatening affects.

Diabetic neuropathy is caused by the walls of the blood vessels that supply the nerves becoming thicker. The end result of this is less nutrients are unable to get to the nerves as well as a demyelinization. This slows the ability of the nerves to conduct impulses back to the brain.

There are different classifications of diabetic neuropathy: peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy and focal neuropathy. Each type affects specific parts of the body in different ways. Peripheral neuropathy causes deadness or pain to the outermost parts of the body: hands, feet, arms and legs. Autonomic neuropathy affects nerves associated with involuntary functions of the body, like heart beat and digestion. Proximal neuropathy causes pain in central parts of the body, in thighs, hips and buttocks, and may also weaken legs. The last type, focal neuropathy, could cause an abrupt dysfunction of a nerve or a cluster of nerves causing double vision, failure to focus, and other muscular weaknesses. It ought to be noted that any nerve in the body can be affected.

Diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy is essentially reliant on how well diabetes is handled. Good treatment could prevent the development of diabetic neuropathy, but once present, diabetic neuropathy has no cure. Pain caused by diabetic neuropathy is so brutal that a secondary diabetic symptom is often depression.

One of the greatest complications of diabetic neuropathy concerns morbidity and mortality in the diabetic. This neuropathy has a rate of 20% in traumatic and 50-75% non-traumatic amputations. The greatest risk for diabetes mellitus patients is glycemic control.

Diabetic neuropathy can affect any nerve or system of nerves in the body .

The four types are :

-Peripheral – that affects the extremities of the body, notably the feet

-Autonomic – that affects the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for the automatic processes that go on in the body

-Proximal – the areas affects are the hips, thighs and buttocks

-Focal – a focused group of nerves in any region of the body.

There are two forms of neuropathies that can form with diabetes; polynueropathies and mononeuropathies. Polynueropathies are the most common in those with diabetes and is a bilateral sensory disorder. The symptoms for this form of diabetic neuropathy are most common in the toes and feet and normally appear there first.

Mononeuropathies are isolated events that affect single nerves. The symptoms of this form of neuropathy are entirely dependent on which nerve is affected. They can affect the oculomotor nerve which can lead to headache, eye pains and an inability to move the eye in any direction.

All diabetics, whether type 1 or type 2, need to be aware of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. The sooner it is brought to the attention of the diabetics health care providers the sooner it can be managed through proper lifestyle choices that are centered on diet, exercise, and proper medical management.

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