What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Persons suffering from diabetes often suffer from Diabetic neuropathy. Due to high blood sugar levels, nerve fibers found throughout the body can be injured. Most often the damage is first felt within the feet and legs.
The symptoms of this condition cover a wide scale. They may include numbness or pain in the extremities. For some patients diabetic neuropathy can cause digestive problems, urinary tract problems, circulatory problems and heart disease. While the symptoms are mild in other patients, they can become very painful and may even lead to death.
Neuropathy is considered a serious complication stemming from diabetes. Persons living a healthy lifestyle and working to keep tight control of blood sugar levels have the best chances of preventing this condition or slowing its progress.
Treatment Of Diabetic Neuropathy
While there is no known cure for Diabetic Neuropathy, treatment focuses on three main types:
1. Slowing its progression
2. Pain Relief
3. Managing complications
The best way to slow the progression of this condition is to keep the blood sugar within the prescribed narrow range. This tight control of the blood glucose levels reduces the risk of developing the condition by up to 60%. The best indicator of the long term goal for tight control of blood sugar is the A1C level. It should be less than 7 percent. In addition, the patient should keep blood pressure under control, follow a healthy eating plan, maintain a healthy weight and stop smoking.
Effective pain relief is often difficult with this condition. Many of the medications have side effects and none work for everyone. Alternative treatments, including acupuncture and capsaicin cream sometime are helpful.
Providing effective pain relief is one of the hardest parts of managing diabetic neuropathy. Several medications are used control nerve pain, but they don’t work for everyone and most have severe side effects. Doctors often weight these against the help they provide. There are also a number of alternative therapies. One is the use of capsaicin cream (made from chili peppers) and acupuncture, that may help with pain relief. Doctors frequently use them in conjunction with medications, but some may be effective on their own.
Treatment of complications are dependent on the complication experienced. For example urinary tract problems may be treated with behavioral techniques or devices inserted in the vagina that help to prevent leakage. Digestive problems are treated by eating smaller and more frequent meals. Sexual dysfunction may be treated with medications such as Viagra.
Diabetic Neuropathy Symptoms
There are many symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy. They may range from numbness in the feet to pain. Men may experience sexual dysfunction. Patients may be sensitive to touch. Patients may experience diabetic ulcers on the feet or legs. For some there is difficulty in walking while others feel burning or stabbing pains in the feet.
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
The most common form of Neuropathy is Peripheral Neuropathy. This condition affect nerve endings first. It generally affects the longest nerves first before moving to shorter nerves. In most patients the condition will first affect the feet and legs. If tight blood glucose control is not achieved it may move to affect the arms and legs as well.
Pain Relief For Diabetic Neuropathy
Many different medications are used to achieve pain relief for persons with Diabetic Neuropathy. In addition to the prescription medication from the doctor there are other treatments that may help. Many people find relief using Capsaicin, a cream made from hot chili peppers. Others find that biofeed back is helpful. Alpha-lipoic acid, a substance occurring naturally in many foods is sometimes helpful in reducing pain. So is the use of a TENS unit as well as acupuncture.
Diabetic Neuropathy is a serious and sometimes fatal condition that affects people with diabetes. The best defense against this condition is to keep tight control over one’s blood sugar. Tight control can prevent the condition from developing. Once it does develop, this control can prevent it from becoming worse.