Diabetic neuropathy is damage that affects the peripheralnerves of the body.
The damage is specifically to the nerves of the ganglia,outside of the skull, the spinal cord, and some other nerves that aid the bodyin assisting fundamental organs, such as the heart, bladder, intestines, andstomach.
Diabetic neuropathy refers only to individuals who havediabetes.
Different nerves are affected in varying ways. Relativelyfamiliar conditions which may be associated withdiabetic neuropathy include:
- Third Nerve Palsy: When the individual cannot move his eye normally due to damage of a cranial nerve.
- Mononeuropathy: When only a single nerve is affected – the nerve is physically compressed, resulting in a lack of blood supply.
- Amythrophy: Muscle pain due to progressive waste and weakening of muscle tissues.
- Mononeuropathy multiplex: Profound aching soreness regularly felt in the lower back, hips or legs, resulting in sharp loss of sensory function of the nerves. This can slowly develop over a number of years.
- Polyneuropathy: Most commonly, this disorder results in weaker hands and feet, as well as some loss of sensation in the affected areas. Some patients complain of a burning needles-like pain. This disorder occurs when many nerves throughout the body simultaneously malfunction. The patient might step on something that should hurt, but feel nothing. It can appear either without warning or steadily over a long period.
- Autonomic neuropathy: The visceral nerve is affected, which may impact on the heart rate, digestion, respiration, salivation, perspiration, blood vessels, and sexual arousal. This occurs when there is a failure from the heart arteries to adjust heart rate and vascular tone to keep blood flowing continually to the brain. Dizziness or fainting when standing up rapidly is common.
- Sensory motor neuropathy: When sensory nerve loss affects the face; in some cases it may spread to the upper arms.
According to recent studies, approximately half ofall diabetes patients develop diabetic neuropathy. However, the signsand symptoms may nor start to show for one or two decades have diagnosis ofdiabetes. The majority of individuals with diabetic neuropathy symptoms do notrealize they are affected until the complications are severe or permanent.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DIABETIC NEUROPATHY?
What is the difference between a sign and a symptom? -A sign is something everyone, including the doctor or nurse, can detect, suchas a rash or swelling, while a symptoms is something the patients can feel andhas to describe for others to know, such as a headache, tingling ordizziness.
There are several signs and symptoms associated withdiabetic neuropathy – they depend on which nerves are affected, and usuallytake several years to become noticeable.
Below are some of the signs and symptoms associated withdiabetic neuropathy:
- Numbness, electric pain, tingling and (or) burning sensations starting in the extremities and continuing up the legs or arms
- Nausea, constipation or diarrhea
- Feeling full when eating small amounts of food
- Throwing up after a few hours of having eaten
- Orthostatic Hypotension (feeling light-headed and dizzy when standing up)
- Faster heart rate than normal
- Chest pains, which sometimes can be a warning of an impending heart attack
- Sweating excessively even when temperature is cool or the individual is at rest
- Bladder problems – difficulty in emptying the bladder completely when going to the toilet, leading to incontinence
- Sexual dysfunction in men
- Sexual problems in women with vaginal dryness and lack of orgasms
- Dysesthesia – the patient’s sense of touch is distorted
- Significant facial and eyelid drooping
DIAGNOSING DIABETIC NEUROPATHY
If some of the above-mentioned signs and symptoms arepresent, the doctor may recommend some diagnostic tests before making adiagnosis.
The doctor may order an electromyogram (EMG), which recordsthe electrical activity in the muscles. He/she may also request a NerveConduction Velocity test (NCV), which records the speed on which inducedsignals pass through the nerves.
During the physical exam, the doctor will check for:
- Ankle reflexes
- Any loss of sensation in the patient’s feet
- Changes in skin texture
- Changes in skin color
- A sudden drop in blood pressure when the patient stands up from lying down.
What are the treatment options for diabeticneuropathy?Although the metabolic causes of diabetic neuropathy are perfectlywell understood and documented, treatments for this disorder are still limited.Most of the treatments described below only help in reducing pain andcontrolling some of the symptoms. Unfortunately, diabetic neuropathy,typically, is progressive – the symptoms get progressively worse over time.
Doctors say the best treatment for diabetic neuropathy is tohave the diabetes well controlled, this means maintaining blood glucose levelswithin a healthy range throughout the day.
Diabetic neuropathy can be avoided by learning the simplesteps on how to manage diabetes.
There are a few drug-related options as wellas physical therapy for controlling pain caused by diabeticneuropathy.
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