Diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a group of nerve disorders which is caused by diabetes. People with diabetes have greater risk of nerve damage. Neuropathy leads to numbness, pain, and weakness in hands, legs, feet, arms. There are approximately 50 percent of those with diabetes also has some form of neuropathy.

Diabetic neuropathy also appear of those people who had problems to control their blood glucose level, high levels of blood fat and blood pressure, overweight people and people who over the age of 40.

Peripheral neuropathy, also called distal symmetric neuropathy is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy, which affects the arms and legs.

Impact of neuropathy on the nervous system

Blood vessels bring oxygen to some nerves, having high blood glucose for many years can damage the blood vessel and also hurt the covering on the nerves. Damaged nerves may send message too slowly or stop sending the message.

Causes of diabetic neuropathy

The cause of diabetic neuropathy depends upon the type of the neuropathy a person has. Nerve damage is due to the combination of metabolic factors such as high blood glucose, abnormal blood fat levels, and low level of insulin, neurovascular factors such as damage to the blood vessels, autoimmune factors that cause of inflammation in nerves, mechanical injury such as carpel tunnel syndrome, inherited traits and lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol use.

Types of Diabetic Neuropathy

There are four types of diabetic neuropathy such as peripheral, Autonomic, proximal and focal. Here, different type of neuropathy affects different parts of the body in different ways.

Peripheral neuropathy: it causes either pain or loss of feeling in the toes, arms, hands, legs, feet.

Autonomic Neuropathy: it causes the changes in digestion, perspiration, bowel and bladder function and also affect the nerves that serve the heart and control blood pressure.

Proximal Neuropathy: it causes pain in the buttocks, hips, thighs and also leads to weakness in legs.

Focal Neuropathy: it causes in the sudden weakness of nerve, causing muscle weakness or pain.

Treatment of neuropathy: for preventing further nerve damage, the first step is to bring the blood glucose within the normal range. For controlling the blood sugar level, you should monitor your blood glucose and also include meal planning, exercise, insulin drugs or injections.  Diabetic neuropathy treatment depend that what type of nerve problem and symptom occur in a person. It may be different type of problems that includes dizziness and weakness, pain, gastrointestinal problems, urinary problems.