Diabetes
Overview - Complications
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| Diagnosis | |||||||||
There
are some other medical conditions which can cause similar symptoms
to diabetic neuropathy but which need different treatment. For
example, as a result of poor circulation, you may also suffer
from cramp and pain in your legs and/or feet, which need different
treatment. It is very important that you are examined by a diabetes specialist or by a neurologist to confirm a diagnosis of neuropathy. If diabetic neuropathy is confirmed it is important to remember that: • the worst of the pain will end although this can take 6 to 18 months, in the meantime there are many treatments for pain • better diabetes control should eventually help the pain • recovery is usually complete with the symptoms eventually disappearing • the pain, no matter how bad, does not lead to amputation or paralysis |
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| Sensory neuropathy | |||||||||
Sensory
neuropathy is the most common type of neuropathy affecting people
with diabetes and mainly affects the nerves in the feet and the
legs. Occasionally people also develop this type of neuropathy in their arms and hands. Sensory nerves carry messages of touch, temperature, pain and other sensations from the skin, bones and muscles to the brain. The main danger of sensory neuropathy is loss of feeling in the feet, especially if you do not realise that this has happened. This is because you may not notice minor injuries, which may be caused by: • nails or stones in shoes • friction from badly fitting shoes • burns from radiators or hot water bottles • walking around barefoot. If ignored minor injuries may get worse and cause infections or ulcers. People with diabetes are more likely to be admitted to hospital with a foot ulcer than with any other complication of diabetes. |
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| What causes sensory neuropathy? | |||||||||
| It
is still not known exactly how diabetes damages the nerves. One
possibility is that nerve damage is a result of damage to the small
blood vessels, which prevents essential nutrients reaching the nerves.
The nerve fibres then become damaged or disappear altogether. Good blood glucose control can reduce the risk of developing neuropathy. |
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| Treatment | |||||||||
Although
neuropathy cannot be cured, there are now many treatments available
and with the help of your diabetes team, symptoms can be relieved
and your quality of life greatly improved. Treating the pain from
diabetic neuropathy takes patience and persistence. The most important
thing to remember is to take the treatment regularly even if the
pain has lessened. Preventing pain is much easier than waiting
until the pain has returned and then treating it. The pain can be treated in a number of different ways -simple painkillers, creams and even some tablets that are usually used for treating depression as they have a calming effect on the nerves. They also have the added advantage of improving the quality of improving the quality of sleep. Good control of your diabetes does reduce the progression of the nerve damage, so good diabetes control is the key to reducing the risk of neuropathy. |
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| And finally... | |||||||||
The
most important thing to remember is to protect the feet from injury,
which can occur in people who are unaware that they have lost
some feeling in their feet. This is why the annual medical check-up
is so important - it allows your diabetes team to spot any problems
that you may be unaware of. And remember: seek help as soon as
possible if any problems arise. |
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