When Diabetes Leads to Nerve Damage in Vacaville

When diabetes in Vacaville becomes serious, it could cause complications like nerve damage.

Nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy can cause symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain in the arms, legs, or feet. 70% of people with diabetes will develop some type of neuropathy, which makes it a common side effect of this disease.

Understanding neuropathy in Vacaville

The common signs of neuropathy include numbness, tingling, or pain in the extremities while there are those who don't experience any symptoms at all. Nerve damage can also happen in the internal organs like the heart or digestive tract. Diabetes-related neuropathy can affect muscle strength, sexual function, and sensation in several parts of the body.

People with diabetic neuropathy usually have trouble controlling their blood glucose levels, cholesterol, body weight, and blood pressure. Although researchers are still not quite sure about what's causing it, they know that neuropathy can happen due to the following:

• Genetic disposition
• Alcohol use and smoking
• Injuries (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
• Inflamed nerves due to autoimmune conditions
• Neurovascular issues that damage the blood vessels that brings nutrients and oxygen to the nerves

The older you are and the longer your diabetes exists, the higher your chances are of getting neuropathy.

When neuropathy may strike

Here are some specific types of neuropathy that happen to people with diabetes:

• Focal Neuropathy - This can attack any nerve in the body and may sometimes cause sudden weakness.
• Peripheral Neuropathy - This is the most common diabetic complication wherein it can cause pain or numbness in the arms, hands, feet, legs, and toes.
• Proximal Neuropathy - This can cause weakness in the legs while inflicting pain in your hips, buttocks, and thighs.
• Autonomic Neuropathy - This can impair the functioning of the digestive system, which can then result in constipation or diarrhea as well as impaired bladder function. It can also affect the way how you perspire and even your sexual response. Men have trouble getting an erection while women may experience vaginal dryness. This form of neuropathy can also mask the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Since diabetes-related neuropathy causes a wide variety of symptoms, there is no single diagnostic test for the said condition. Your doctor will rely mostly on your complete physical exam and your description of the symptoms to diagnose it. There are cases where doctors will use nerve conduction studies, ultrasound, and heart rate variability test to help with the diagnosis.

Protect your feet

Peripheral neuropathy can happen in the feet. If you start losing the feelings or sensations in your feet, you're more likely to injury yourself, walk abnormally, and even develop sores that won't heal. These sores can even be badly infected, which may lead to the amputation of your legs or feet. This is the reason why people with diabetes should closely observe the condition of their feet.

Even though diabetic neuropathy can affect the majority of people who have diabetes, you can still do your part to prevent it. It mostly involves keeping your blood glucose level within your target range. Through this, you can help protect your nerves from having more damage.