DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

Adel Khudhur Abdulazeez aldori

Chairman of health committee

Iraqi Forum For Intellectuals & Academics

 

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout your body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet.

Depending on the affected nerves, symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can range from pain and numbness in your legs and feet to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart. Some people have mild symptoms. But for others, diabetic neuropathy can be quite painful and disabling.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common and serious complication of diabetes. But you can often prevent diabetic neuropathy or slow its progress with tight blood sugar control and a healthy lifestyle.

Symptoms

There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy. You can have one or more than one type of neuropathy. Your symptoms will depend on the type you have and which nerves are affected. Usually, symptoms develop gradually. You may not notice anything wrong until considerable nerve damage has occurred.

Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy. It affects the feet and legs first, followed by the hands and arms. Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are often worse at night, and may include:

Numbness or reduced ability to feel pain or temperature changes

Tingling or burning sensation

Sharp pains or cramps

Increased sensitivity to touch — for some people, even the weight of a bedsheet can be painful

Muscle weakness

Loss of reflexes, especially in the ankle

Loss of balance and coordination

Serious foot problems, such as ulcers, infections, and bone and joint pain

Autonomic neuropathy

The autonomic nervous system controls your heart, bladder, stomach, intestines, sex organs and eyes. Diabetes can affect nerves in any of these areas, possibly causing:

A lack of awareness that blood sugar levels are low (hypoglycemia unawareness)

Bladder problems, including urinary tract infections or urinary retention or incontinence

Constipation, uncontrolled diarrhea or both

Slow stomach emptying (gastroparesis), causing nausea, vomiting, bloating and loss of appetite

Difficulty swallowing

Increased or decreased sweating

Problems controlling body temperature

Changes in the way your eyes adjust from light to dark

Increased heart rate at rest

Sharp drops in blood pressure after sitting or standing that may cause you to faint or feel lightheaded

Erectile dysfunction

 

Vaginal dryness

Decreased sexual response

Radiculoplexus neuropathy (diabetic amyotrophy)

Radiculoplexus neuropathy affects nerves in the thighs, hips, buttocks or legs. It’s more common in people with type 2 diabetes and older adults. Other names for this type are diabetic amyotrophy, femoral neuropathy or proximal neuropathy.

Symptoms are usually on one side of the body, but sometimes may spread to the other side. You may have:

Severe pain in a hip and thigh or buttock that occurs in a day or more

Eventual weak and shrinking thigh muscles

Difficulty rising from a sitting position

Abdominal swelling, if the abdomen is affected

Weight loss

Most people improve at least partially over time, though symptoms may worsen before they get better.

Mononeuropathy

Mononeuropathy, or focal neuropathy, is damage to a specific nerve in the face, middle of the body (torso) or leg. It’s most common in older adults. Mononeuropathy often strikes suddenly and can cause severe pain. However, it usually doesn’t cause any long-term problems.

Symptoms usually go away without treatment over a few weeks or months. Your specific signs and symptoms depend on which nerve is involved. You may have pain in the:

Shin or foot

Lower back or pelvis

Front of thigh

Chest or abdomen

Mononeuropathy may also cause nerve problems in the eyes and face, leading to:

Difficulty focusing

Double vision

Aching behind one eye

Paralysis on one side of your face (Bell’s palsy)

Sometimes mononeuropathy occurs when something is pressing on a nerve (nerve compression). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common type of compression neuropathy in people with diabetes. It can cause numbness or tingling in your hand or fingers, except your pinkie (little finger). Your hand may feel weak, and you may drop things.

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