Understanding the Link Between Diabetes and Neuropathy

Diabetes, a chronic metabolic disorder that can affect areas throughout the body if left untreated, results from an overabundance of necessary blood sugar in the bloodstream (hyperglycemia). When blood sugar reaches a level that the body can’t regulate and process effectively, it gradually creates problems that can be fatal over time.

This creates many problems for your nerves, leading to several forms of neuropathy that can reduce sensation and cause many other issues. To learn more about the connections between diabetes and nerve problems, let’s explore the complications of the disease, the direct impact on your nervous system, and what can be done about it.

People with neuropathy from diabetes and many other nerve-related issues in Norwood, Anderson, and Westside, Ohio, and Crestview Hills, Kentucky, can be managed by the dedicated medical team at Riverhills Neuroscience.

Complications of diabetes

The long-term effects of diabetes on the body are dramatic, leading to problems that damage the cardiovascular, digestive, visual, integumentary, and urinary systems. Complications include an increased risk of:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Hypoglycemia
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Hearing loss
• Bacterial and fungal skin infections
• Diabetic retinopathy

These issues cause various symptoms, including increased thirst and hunger, dehydration, increased urinary frequency, abdominal pain, weight changes, blurry vision, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and breathing problems.

How it affects your nerves

The type of nerve damage millions deal with is referred to as diabetic neuropathy, which affects your arms, legs, hands, and feet. As many as half of diabetics struggle with it and the accompanying signs like tingling, burning sensations, numbness, shooting pains, and painful cramping. It can also impair balance and make you sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.

However, other forms of nerve damage can come from diabetes, such as autonomic, focal, and proximity neuropathy, which target internal organs, single legs in your limbs, and damage the hip, buttock, and thighs. In addition to having diabetes, other factors increase the risk of these issues, like smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and your age.

Prevention and treatment

Diabetic neuropathy is a controllable condition, and managing your blood sugar levels is always essential in slowing its progression. This keeps all of your diabetic symptoms under better control, and combined with dietary changes, weight loss, and other lifestyle changes, it makes a world of difference in your nerve health.

To manage the pain and other symptoms of this form of neuropathy, medications can be used to reduce discomfort, and other treatment options vary with the severity of your issues. 

Nerve damage from diabetes can lead to many problems, but it can be managed, and we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment today with the Riverhills Neuroscience medical team to learn how we can treat your diabetic neuropathy.