Diabetic Neuropathy?!
Question: Please tell me more about Diabetic Neuropathy.
- In 50 words or less, what is it?
- What are the outcomes? (discomfort, pain, death, life expectancy, amputation, etc)
- Is it inevitable? If not, what are the best ways to avoid it? Is a person who has poorly controled BG more likely to develop it?
- Is it more associated with one type more than another?
- Does it tend to strike at a certain age?
- Once diagnosed, is it harder to maintain BG levels?
Please no cut and paste volumes from search engines with an answer buried on page 50. Just looking for layman's terms. People with experience are the best people to ask. Thanks!
Answers: Please tell me more about Diabetic Neuropathy.
- In 50 words or less, what is it?
- What are the outcomes? (discomfort, pain, death, life expectancy, amputation, etc)
- Is it inevitable? If not, what are the best ways to avoid it? Is a person who has poorly controled BG more likely to develop it?
- Is it more associated with one type more than another?
- Does it tend to strike at a certain age?
- Once diagnosed, is it harder to maintain BG levels?
Please no cut and paste volumes from search engines with an answer buried on page 50. Just looking for layman's terms. People with experience are the best people to ask. Thanks!
Many people with diabetes eventually develop some form of nerve damage, a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. High blood sugar can injure nerve fibers throughout your body, but nerves in your legs and feet are damaged most often. Depending on the affected nerves, symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can range from pain and numbness in your extremities to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart. For some people, these symptoms are mild; for others, diabetic neuropathy can be painful, disabling and even fatal. Diabetic neuropathy is the most common serious complication of diabetes. Yet you can often prevent diabetic neuropathy or slow its progress with tight blood sugar control and a healthy lifestyle. Since the cndition is slow to progress, it typically affects older adults, but symptoms can occur at any age.
my mom has been diabetic about 25 years...just recently she has developed a little bit of diabetic neuropathy. a few numb spots on her feet is all. the best way to avoid it is to keep blood sugars under control. obviously, being diabetic, you can't keep them perfect...but if you do the best you can, you can go a lifetime without neuropathy.
Key signs to watch out for are numbness and tingling in the feet or legs. a good way to catch it early it to have regular checkups with your endocrinologist, and a foot doctor. diabetics also need to make sure they take good care of their feet...if you notice a sore or cut on your foot...get it checked right away by a doctor.
Also, i should mention that i've been having stomach issues recently (nausea, vomiting, not being able to eat full meals) and my doctor thinks it could be gastric paresis which is when nerves get damaged in the stomach and intestines. i've been in decent control over the past 9 years, but if it happens to be that it is gastric paresis...that just shows it can happen any time.
Diabetes complication are many and some times worry some. The effects on these complications end up in your system which pools in the lower legs. You can reduce these effect on the lower legs by live a health life. Neurophathy is damage to the nerves that is complicated by other residual damage mostly a result of growing older.
Diabetics have to be careful about very comfortable shoes to prevent build of calluses and sores from rubbing. Toe nail should be properly trim and feet scrubbed to reduce build of dead skin.
Good care can be wonderful and very much reduce the effect a diabetic condition. But, as we grow older our feet do show signs of age. Skin color changes, build of iron in the body shows and more but all natural.
Best Wishes.
1. Loss of sensation because of nerve damage caused by excess sugars in the body.
2. Excellent list of outcomes.
3. No, not inevitable. Yes those with poorly controlled blood glucose are much more likely to develop it.
4. It's associated with blood glucose levels and not with the type of diabetes.
5. It strikes at the time when diabetics don't control their glucose well. It does not discriminate with regard to age.
6. It's easier to control BG levels because this is a nasty wake-up call and that may encourage the diabetic to be more vigilant.