Last updated on January 7, 2022
Content By: Dr. Nikita Toshi BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review) & Dr. Ritu Budania MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
Last updated on January 7, 2022
We are all aware of what diabetes is from an early age. We see people around us being diagnosed with it. Or we ourselves have to battle it every day. Surprisingly, a disease that is so prevalent around us can have drastic effects on your body if not taken care of properly. Yes, diabetes can be kept in check. You can lead a healthy life. But for that, you need to take care of yourself. Well, it’s not as difficult as most people think. A little lifestyle change can help you keep your blood sugar levels in check. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, visit a nutritionist to know all your body needs and what you should cut down on. Plan your meal accordingly and try to take out some time out of your busy schedule and include some exercises. What exercises you do daily depends on your stamina. Even a brisk walk helps. But remember that you need to make it a part of your daily routine.
Why should we do this, you ask? Well because high levels of blood sugar can cause other complications. It can affect your heart and even your nervous symptoms. Diabetic neuropathy is when high levels of sugar affect the nerves, especially in your legs and feet. So without further ado, let us learn about this condition in great detail.
We are all aware of what diabetes is from an early age. We see people around us being diagnosed with it. Or we ourselves have to battle it every day. Surprisingly, a disease that is so prevalent around us can have drastic effects on your body if not taken care of properly. Yes, diabetes can be kept in check. You can lead a healthy life. But for that, you need to take care of yourself. Well, it’s not as difficult as most people think. A little lifestyle change can help you keep your blood sugar levels in check. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, visit a nutritionist to know all your body needs and what you should cut down on. Plan your meal accordingly and try to take out some time out of your busy schedule and include some exercises. What exercises you do daily depends on your stamina. Even a brisk walk helps. But remember that you need to make it a part of your daily routine.
Why should we do this, you ask? Well because high levels of blood sugar can cause other complications. It can affect your heart and even your nervous symptoms. Diabetic neuropathy is when high levels of sugar affect the nerves, especially in your legs and feet. So without further ado, let us learn about this condition in great detail.
Written by
BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review)
Reviewed by
MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
Diabetic neuropathy is a complication that arises due to high blood sugar in type 1 and type 2 diabetes therefore, it is important to understand the diabetes difference between type 1 and type 2 and refers to the damage caused to your nervous system as a result of high blood sugar levels in your body. The nerves in your body are essential because they enable your senses, movement, tell you how to feel and control your automatic functions like breathing.
But over time, high sugar levels can damage your nerves. Diabetic neuropathy is a progressive disease that eventually gets worse over time. It can affect any nerve in your body and cause a wide range of symptoms.
Diabetic Neuropathy, unfortunately, is a complex condition and cannot be self-treated. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with Diabetic Neuropathy you might need proper medical assistance and a doctor-prescribed diabetic neuropathy treatment plan to slow down its progression.
Depending on which nerves in your body are affected, diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from a tingling sensation to severe pain to complete numbness in the lower half of your body. It can also affect your digestive system, heart and its blood vessels, urinary tract, etc. The symptoms can be mild for some people and severe for others. The diabetic neuropathy treatment too can be painful and disabling for most people.
Diabetic neuropathy is a diabetes complication, affecting about 50% of people with diabetes. Receiving the appropriate diabetic neuropathy treatment is crucial to help reduce its prevalence in India. Consistently managing your blood sugar levels along with maintaining a healthy diet and exercise habits can help supplement your journey to recovery.
In fact, there are different diabetic neuropathy stages that we will touch upon in the next section. Nevertheless, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is advisable to schedule regular visits to your doctor to prevent your risk of developing complications like diabetic neuropathy in the future.
What are the causes of diabetic neuropathy?
The exact cause of diabetic neuropathy is still unknown. But if you often experience tingling, pain, weakness or numbness in your extremities, like your feet and hands, it may be a good idea to go see your doctor for the appropriate diabetic neuropathy treatment that caters to your specific symptoms.
While these are some of the early symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, it becomes a bit more worrisome when feet health and what it says about you is compromised – blisters, sores or foot ulcers develop and you can’t feel pain.
Prolonged diabetic neuropathy, causes one to be vulnerable to more injuries and infections and in severe cases even amputation.
A study says that high blood sugar, especially uncontrolled, can damage your nerves, leading to diabetic neuropathy. As mentioned earlier, high blood sugar also weakens the walls of the small blood vessels, which supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients.
Anyone with uncontrolled diabetes is capable of developing neuropathy and would thus need immediate diabetic neuropathy treatment. But here are some factors that increase your risk of nerve damage:
Extremely high blood sugar levels – People with high sugar levels are at a major risk of suffering from diabetic neuropathy. This could often lead to nerve damage.
History of diabetes – Your chances of developing diabetic neuropathy are higher when you’ve had diabetes for a longer period of time. Poor diabetes management makes you more susceptible to diabetic neuropathy in the future.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
Kidney related diseases – Diabetes can be harmful to the kidneys as toxins enter the blood. This results in nerve damage almost every time.
Obesity – If your BMI (body mass index) is over 25, it increases your chances of getting affected by diabetic neuropathy.
Smoking and other narcotics – Chain-smoking and sometimes even occasional smoking, can result in the narrowing of your arteries and hardening them. It reduces blood flow to your legs and feet and makes it harder for wounds to heal. This ultimately will damage your nerves.
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Neuropathy is a term that describes several types of nerve damages. The types of neuropathy include:
| Types of Diabetic Neuropathy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Peripheral Neuropathy | This type of nerve damage generally affects your legs and feet and sometimes extends to your arms and hands. | ||
| Autonomic Neuropathy | This type affects and damages the nerves that control your internal organs. It can lead to problems with your blood pressure, heart rate, digestive system, bladder, eyes, sweat glands and the ability to sense low sugar levels in the blood. | ||
| Focal Neuropathy | Focal neuropathy typically damages single nerves, often in your legs, hands, torso or head. | ||
| Proximal Neuropathy | This is a rare type of neuropathy that causes disabling damage to your thighs or buttock region. It usually affects one side of your body and can spread to the other side. | ||
| Thoracic/Lumbar Neuropathy | This type of neuropathy affects the lower back and can manifest as pain, numbness and even numbness of the legs. | ||
| Compression Mononeuropathy | This medical condition is caused by direct pressure on the nerve. It causes pain, tingling sensation and muscle weakness. | ||
| Unilateral Foot Drop | Foot drop is caused by weakness and paralysis on the front part of the foot. | ||
| Charcot’s joint | Also known as Charcot’s foot, this attacks bones, joints and soft tissues of the feet. If not treated fast it causes immense pain and even deformation of the foot. | ||
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral Neuropathy is known to be the most common type of neuropathy. This affects your feet and sometimes legs, arms and hands. In such a kind of neuropathy, the symptoms can be varied. They may include:
Feelings of numbness in your body
Burning or tingling sensations
Not being able to feel hot or cold sensations
Sharp diabetic neuropathy pain or cramping
Weakness in muscles
Little to no coordination and balance
Most of these symptoms appear at night. Also, in diabetic neuropathy, a foot injury may not be as painful to you due to the numbness but you would require treatment for diabetic neuropathy. Poor circulation is also a symptom of peripheral neuropathy, making it difficult for your wounds to heal. Eventually, this increases the risk of infection, which can lead to amputation in the worst cases.
Proximal Neuropathy
Known to be a rare type of neuropathy, proximal neuropathy is also known as Diabetic Amyotrophy. Proximal diabetic neuropathy can mostly be seen in men over 50 years of age. This disease often affects the lower half of the body, including your thighs, buttocks and hips.
You can expect sudden diabetic neuropathy pain. With muscle weakness, you may eventually even need someone to help you stand. However, this disease mostly affects one side of your body. The symptoms here get worse and then begin to improve slowly. The good sign is that most people are able to recover within a few years, even without diabetic neuropathy treatment.
Focal Neuropathy
This kind of neuropathy is also known as Mononeuropathy. This disease causes damage to one particular area in your body, usually your head, torso, hands or legs. The symptoms appear suddenly and are considered to be painful. But just like Proximal Neuropathy, most of these focal neuropathies go away soon without causing any lasting damage.
Symptoms of focal neuropathy include:
Tingling, pain or numbness in extremities
Incapable of focusing
Double vision or pain in the eyes
Bell’s palsy
Autonomic Neuropathy
Known to be the second most common neuropathy, Autonomic Neuropathy, affects the automatically functioning systems in your body. This mostly affects your:
Nerve damage to the digestive system may also cause constipation, diarrhoea and trouble with swallowing in some people.
Lumbar Neuropathy
Also known as sciatica, lumbar neuropathy is when you experience pain in the lower back, hip and legs due to compression of the nerves. Symptoms for these generally include pain and numbness in the lower back and buttocks and gets worse if you sit or stand for a longer period of time.
Compression Mononeuropathy
This occurs when a nerve is squeezed or compacted in a single region. Compression mononeuropathy is usually caused by repetitive injuries but conditions like arthritis and diabetes can also play a role. Common symptoms include pain, numbness and weakness of the muscle.
Unilateral Foot Drop
Foot drop which is sometimes referred to as drop foot is generally a term that is used to describe the difficulty in lifting the front part of the foot. If you suffer from a drop foot, you might drag your feet while walking. This is usually caused by a nerve injury that compresses the nerve in the leg responsible for movement.
Charcot’s joint
This is a progressive joint disorder in patients with abnormal pain in their joints. It is usually seen in people who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Diabetic Neuropathy has the potential to cause several other health problems in the body. Some of them include:
What is gastroparesis and why are diabetics more at risk – This causes digestion to slow down, by the reduced movement of food from the stomach to the intestines leading to frequent bouts of nausea and vomiting. You may also experience heart palpitations and sweating, which often go undetected, leading to a high or low blood sugar level emergency.
Sexual and Bladder Problems – You may experience issues with your sex organs like difficulty achieving an orgasm, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction, difficulty urinating or holding the urge to urinate (urinary incontinence), etc.
Heart Problems – Diabetic neuropathy can cause damage to the nerves that control your heart’s rhythm and functions like heartbeat and blood pressure. This damage can make them respond slowly or not at all, leading to a drop in your blood pressure. You may also feel lightheaded or dizzy when you stand up after sitting or lying down. Also, an abnormally fast heart rate is a symptom and would need diabetic neuropathy treatment.
This kind of neuropathy can make it difficult to identify some of the symptoms of a heart attack. No chest pain is felt when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen.
The following signs and warnings for a heart attack must be considered under such a condition:
Sweating profusely
Pain in the arm, back, neck, jaw or stomach
Uneven breaths
Nausea
Lightheadedness
Unexplained weakness
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The symptoms are different in every diabetic neuropathy stage. In most common cases, the nerves of your feet are the first to experience some effect. This eventually leads to the symptom of a painful or tingling sensation in your feet. Here are a few symptoms that could be a sign of Diabetic Neuropathy and eventually help you with diabetic neuropathy management –
Numbness
An early symptom of DN is numbness. This sometimes leads you to be unable to feel your feet while walking. Many times even your hands will tingle or burn. It also feels like you are wearing a sock or a glove when in reality you are not.
Touch Sensitivity
DN also results in exaggerated sensations and affects your sensitivity to touch. For example; holding a cup of warm coffee may feel painfully hot at times. Also, when a person with cold hands touches you it may hurt. Your hands or feet may also feel hot or cold for no apparent reason.
Tingling Sensation
If you constantly feel a tingling sensation, consider it a sign as this is one of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy and would require treatment.
Muscle Weakness
This condition is often marked by signs that include sudden pain in the hips and thighs. It could even appear in your buttocks. This is when the weakness and shrinking of the thigh muscles are in effect. This can also make you more susceptible to joint problems like dislocation.
Nausea
In the case of diabetic neuropathy, the risk of feeling nauseated is common. It is a clear indication that a checkup by a health expert is necessary. Nausea usually occurs due to diabetes-related complications therefore, it is advised to follow some tips to avoid diabetes complications. Slow emptying of food from the stomach can be an important reason for nausea.
Erectile Dysfunction
Diabetic neuropathy causes sexual issues and eventually, you will need treatment for diabetic neuropathy. The symptoms of numbness, pain and lack of feeling can also occur in the genitals. This eventually leads to erectile dysfunction.
Vaginal Dryness
Research indicates that high blood sugars can cause damage to the blood vessels in your vagina too. This often leads to a lack of lubrication making sex a very painful experience. Restricted blood flow and nerve damage can also mean you feel less stimulation.
Bladder Problems
We know that if you are diagnosed with diabetes, the frequency of urination increases. But if you have diabetic neuropathy, your bladder nerves may be affected and result in decreased frequency of urination. Also, nerve damage can affect the tone of bladder muscles leading to urinary incontinence that is difficulty in holding the urge to urinate.
Deformed Foot
This symptom occurs because there is an unusual shift in weight caused by walking abnormally due to loss of nerve function and weakening of muscle tone. This is also called hammertoe.
Now let’s look at how these symptoms translate in the various diabetic neuropathy stages.
| 4 STAGES OF DIABETIC NEUROPATHY | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Condition | Symptoms | |||||
| Stage 1: Numbness & Pain | This affects legs and feet followed by arms and hands. | Frequent pain, numbness and tingling sensation. Problem with balance and reflex. | |||||
| Stage 2: Constant Pain | High blood sugar affects the nerves in the foot. | Consistent pain and numbness. | |||||
| Stage 3: Intense Pain | You don’t feel any sensation in the foot and you don’t understand even there’s an injury or wound. | Worst pain that happens daily. The foot also starts becoming numb. | |||||
| Stage 4: Complete Numbness/Loss of Sensation | As injuries do not heal, they can lead to sepsis or gangrene. | The feet become completely numb. | |||||
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Diabetic neuropathy can be a daunting condition to manage. That’s why it is important to regularly monitor your blood sugar levels as a diabetic to prevent your diabetes from progressing into a condition like diabetic neuropathy. But what happens when diabetic neuropathy is left uncontrolled or untreated? Here are some of the complications of Diabetic Neuropathy you can be prepared for:
Loss of a toe, foot or leg
Amputation is one of the major complications of diabetic neuropathy. In diabetes sometimes a patient can suffer from an artery disease that causes the blood vessels to narrow and reduce blood flow to the feet causing nerve damage. Reduced blood flow slows down healing and if you suffer a leg injury it is likely to become disastrous. If the infection cannot be stopped sometimes the only option is amputation.
Urinary Tract Infections and Urinary Incontinence
Diabetes may also affect your urinary tract by causing selective damage to urinary nerves. This leads to reduced flow of urine and also causes other bladder infections.
Sharp drops in blood pressure
Diabetic neuropathy can cause your blood pressure to oscillate. We are aware that high blood sugar leads to high blood pressure but sometimes pressure may suddenly fall making you dizzy.
Silent drop in blood sugar levels
We are aware of what should be done if we have high blood sugar levels. But sometimes in diabetes neuropathy, the sugar levels may drop without us being aware of it. A sudden drop in sugar levels makes you tired, weak, confused, drowsy and if not checked it can even lead to death.
Silent heart attack
Due to the damage to nerves, symptoms of a heart attack like severe pain in the chest can be masked up and missed out.
Digestive issues
Diabetic neuropathy can affect the nervous system of your gut leading to reduced movement and it can cause digestive problems like constipation, abdominal pain, bloating and even diarrhoea or vomiting.
Sexual dysfunction
Poorly controlled blood sugar levels can lead to damage of nerves and blood vessels around your genitals. This can cause sexual problems like erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness in women.
Increased or decreased sweating
People with diabetic neuropathy experience more sweating than ones without the condition. You sweat profusely in the head and neck region when you eat or drink.
The key to not letting diabetic neuropathy progressing into any of its complications is to get it checked and monitored early. A timely visit to the doctor to check your blood sugar levels and also screen for future health complications can save you from dealing with the negative impacts of diabetic neuropathy in the long run.
Now that we have looked at some complications of diabetic neuropathy, in the next section, we will take a look at how diabetic neuropathy is diagnosed, what are the tests involved and also how to prepare yourself or a loved one for a diabetic neuropathy diagnosis.
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A physical exam, a careful review of the symptoms and medical history are the three pillars of diagnosis for a doctor and helps with diabetic neuropathy management.
Usually, the doctor checks for the following before drawing up treatment for diabetic neuropathy:
When to screen for diabetic neuropathy?
It is recommended that when you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and five years after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes you should be screened for diabetic neuropathy. Research says that a combination of more than one test may help to detect diabetic neuropathy more sensitively. A careful diabetic neuropathy treatment for the feet and lower limbs should also be performed.
Physical Exam - The Main Test To Detect Diabetic Neuropathy
Your healthcare expert will conduct a physical examination for the diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. During this procedure the health expert will focus on checking – your response to light touch, pressure, temperature, movement, repositioning and vibration. A thorough check of the feet and legs will be done.
After your general physical examination, you will be asked to get other specific tests done that could help in diagnosing diabetic neuropathy. These include:
Filament test – A soft nylon fibre brush will be brushed over areas of your skin to test your sensitivity to touch.
Sensory testing – This test is non-invasive and is used to calculate how your nerves are responding to vibrations and changes in temperature.
Nerve Conduction testing – This test measures how quickly electric impulses are carried through the nerves in your arms and legs. This test is widely used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome.
Muscle Response testing – This test is also known as electromyography and is used to measure electrical discharges that are produced in the muscles.
Autonomic testing – This test is done to determine how your blood pressure changes while you are in different positions and also to check whether you sweat normally.
How to Prepare Yourself or a Loved One for a Diagnostic Test?
Neuropathic Diabetes can be a demanding disease to manage. People who need treatment for diabetic neuropathy must constantly watch what they eat, check their blood sugar levels regularly and take medication and they need to be given mental support.
Here is how you can help:
Learn about the condition – Diabetic Neuropathy has a lot of myths and wrong ideas attached to it. A small example; it’s not true that a major sweet tooth can lead to the condition. So, understand and learn about the disease so you can prepare yourself or a loved one to be able to take the right tests for the same.
Learn how diabetes works – In case of an emergency, it is best to be prepared and well researched. If you already know the symptoms of low blood sugar and high blood sugar, you can be able to take action for yourself or rush a loved one to a health expert immediately.
Make it a team effort – Diabetes diagnosis is a chance for the whole household to have a healthy lifestyle. So, get everyone on board so that when the time for diabetic neuropathy treatment comes your loved one is ready because you have always been by their side.
If you’re specifically a caregiver here are a few other points that you can keep in mind while supporting a friend or family member diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy:
Remind them to check their blood sugar levels regularly.
Help them make a doctor's appointment.
Offer to keep a record of their symptoms.
Together, plan how to handle a diabetes-related emergency.
Support them in making good food choices.
Go with them to a diabetes support group.
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Is diabetic neuropathy curable? In reality, diabetic neuropathy has no cure. However, by relieving pain and managing complications it can be gradually suppressed over time.
How can we manage pain in diabetic neuropathy?
Painkillers and pain-relieving medications may be prescribed by your doctor however, not all prescribed medicines work for all diabetes-related nerve pains and on every patient. They might also have many side effects. Some other medicines that your doctors may prescribe are:
Anti-seizure Drugs – Several diabetic neuropathy medications that are prescribed as a painkiller for nerve pain. The side effects that you can expect include swelling, dizziness and drowsiness.
Antidepressants – Some antidepressants can be prescribed to help reduce nerve pain. In some cases, anti-seizure and antidepressants may be combined. Your doctor may also suggest other therapies like acupressure, acupuncture or TENS if suitable for your case.
How can we manage diabetic neuropathy complications?
Different healthcare experts in their field might need to be put in charge to treat diabetic neuropathy complications. These might include a urologist, cardiologist and even a neurologist, who can help prevent or treat complications.
The different types of diabetic neuropathy treatment guidelines for complications that arise out of diabetic neuropathy might include:
Urinary Tract Treatment – Some diabetic neuropathy pain treatment drugs affect bladder function. This might lead to a change in the prescribed medications. At times a timely urination schedule while applying gentle pressure to the bladder area can help some bladder problems. The other methods of easing bladder treatments could be self-catheterization and maybe removing urine from a nerve-damaged bladder.
Managing Digestive Problems – Doctors suggest eating small and timely meals more frequently to avoid symptoms of gastroparesis, indigestion, belching, nausea or vomiting. Diet changes and medications may help to relieve diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.
Improving blood pressure – The treatment for low blood pressure starts with simple lifestyle changes. This could include; avoiding alcohol, drinking plenty of water and changing positions such as sitting or standing slowly. One could also sleep with the head of the bed raised 6 to 10 inches, this prevents swings in blood pressure. Also, compression support for your abdomen is recommended by many doctors.
Treating Sexual Dysfunction – For some men, medications taken by mouth or injections may improve sexual function. But they aren’t safe and also effective for everyone. There are mechanical vacuum devices that may increase blood flow to the penis. And for women, may find relief with vaginal lubricants.
How to care for a loved one dealing with diabetic neuropathy?
It is easy to support but not easy to live with a disease like diabetic neuropathy. Sometimes it is best to seek help from a therapist if you find your loved one feeling depressed. You can also seek diabetic neuropathy home remedies for diabetic neuropathy pain treatment to help them feel more at ease. It is advised to consult their health care practitioner for the appropriate treatment options suited to their symptoms and condition over self-treating.
Various support groups can offer encouragement and advice about living with diabetic neuropathy.
Preparing yourself or a loved one for a doctor’s appointment – An endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diabetes. Do your research on a good endocrinologist and consult them for diagnosis and diabetic neuropathy treatments for either yourself or your loved one. Your doctor may also refer you to a neurologist. But the idea is to be there for your loved one at all times.
Additionally, to prepare for the appointment you may want to:
Caregivers, this act of selflessness shows support and helps your loved one to cope up with this painful disease even faster.
Lifestyle Alterations and Mental Health: Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some measures that can help you make some lifestyle changes, make use of diabetic neuropathy home remedies and reduce your risk of treatment for diabetic neuropathy:
#1 Keep your blood pressure Under Control
You are at greater risk if you have high blood pressure and diabetes. You must keep your blood pressure under control in the range your doctor recommends and keep monitoring it for added safety.
#2 Eat Healthily
A balanced diet includes a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains. You must limit portion sizes to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
#3 Exercise for Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy exercise helps to lower blood sugar and improves blood flow eventually. Also, it keeps your heart healthy. Research says that 150 minutes of moderate-intensity diabetic neuropathy exercise a week is a good sign to stay active. Also, taking a break from continuous sitting for over 30 minutes is advisable for quick bursts of activity. However, talk with your health expert or physical therapist before you start working.
#4 Stop Smoking
Using tobacco in any form is not advisable. This makes you more likely to develop poor circulation in your feet. If you wish to quit, which you must, then talk to your doctor to help you wean yourself off smoking.
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Research states that there is no diabetic neuropathy treatment. But there are proactive steps one can take to prevent the disease.
Here is a list of preventive measures for the right treatment for diabetic neuropathy:
Controlling your diabetes
A balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals together with physical activity can delay problems and be seen as effective steps to control diabetes. It also helps your balance, so you’re less likely to fall. Brisk walking is a great way to start.
Regularly monitoring your Blood Sugar Levels
High blood sugar over time damages nerves. When your blood sugar level is consistently in the normal range the chances of you developing diabetic neuropathy is lesser than usual. Therefore, it is important to understand how often should one check their blood sugar and hba1c levels and maintain them in a healthy range.
Getting adequate Vitamin D and B12 in your diet
If you don’t get enough Vitamin D and B12, you are at risk of developing diabetic neuropathy. Natural light, egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms, tuna, mackerel and salmon could boost Vitamin D. Red meat and fish could help with Vitamin B12. Also, vitamin D supplements can be preventive.
Taking Antioxidant-Rich Supplements
Although there is more research required, early studies suggest that the antioxidants alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine may protect nerves. They might also lessen the pain. But it is recommended to check with your doctor before you start taking these.
Lifestyle changes
Apart from a healthy diet and exercise, incorporating yoga, guided imagery, massages, types of breathing exercise your body will love, tai chi into your lifestyle are some of the diabetic neuropathy natural treatment ways that can be useful in lowering your blood pressure and heart rate and managing other stress symptoms. It also makes it easier to manage discomfort and chronic pain.
Using essential oils have also been shown to help with diabetic neuropathy. Essential oils are what you get from the extracts of several herbal plants like rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender and chamomile. These essential oils are diabetic neuropathy natural treatments that you need to massage onto your skin. They can also be used in aromatherapy which can help with managing pain. Essential oils reduce the stress of dealing with diabetic neuropathy.
Avoiding injuries to your feet
Nerve damage can make it difficult to indicate if and when something is wrong, so the best is to try and avoid any injuries to your feet in order to protect yourself from getting a diabetic neuropathy foot. Try not to walk barefoot and ensure your shoes fit well. New cotton socks every day is also a healthy practice. Be careful while trimming toenails and check for cracks, blisters and sores on your feet regularly.
Scheduling regular visits to the Podiatrist
When you are suffering from diabetes, there is a high chance of foot problems and complications. This mostly happens due to nerve damage. In diabetic neuropathy, you lose sensation in the legs over time and if you injure your foot it gets complicated. So a podiatrist is an important part of your care team. A podiatrist is trained to assess the nerve damage of your feet so you must visit him regularly to keep everything in check.
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Where does diabetic neuropathy usually start?
Diabetic Neuropathy shows symptoms of tingling and numbness in the feet and legs first. It may occur in the hands or arms later. But there is no specific diabetic neuropathy treatment.
What is the best treatment for diabetic neuropathy?
The best treatment for diabetic neuropathy can vary from individual to individual. Hence, it is recommended to consult a neurologist who will be able to determine the best diabatic neuropathy treatment suited to your symptoms, stage and diagnosis. Some painkillers, anti-seizure medicines and antidepressants have helped with pain management for diabetic neuropathy patients however, it is important to consult a doctor before taking any painkiller or medication of your own.
How do you stop diabetic neuropathy?
While diabetic neuropathy cannot potentially be stopped, there are ways in which you can manage the pain and slow down its progression. Here are a few measures that can help if not in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy but at least in preventing the condition from worsening:
What are the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in the feet?
Here are a few signs and symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy:
Is walking good for neuropathy?
Walking and diabetic neuropathy diet can reduce neuropathy pain. It also improves muscle strength and helps as a treatment for diabetic neuropathy.
What does diabetic neuropathy feel like?
During diabetic neuropathy pain, one can feel numbness or a reduced ability to feel pain or temperature changes.
I get an occasional burning sensation in my hands and legs. Is that a cause of worry?
Most medical conditions that cause a burning sensation have no cure. But there are preventive measures, you should seek treatment from your healthcare provider if you’re concerned about a burning sensation for diabetic neuropathy foot.
I have started to feel numb since one month ago. Should I check if my sugars are normal and what can be the reason?
This could also be some added stress. But it is always advisable to go consult a healthcare expert for the same.
I have heard I need to wear some kind of diabetic shoes for diabetic neuropathy and shocks, the reason behind that?
Neuropathy usually makes you lose your feelings on your feet. So, wearing shoes for diabetic neuropathy that are too tight or too loose can put you at risk for foot problems. Also, neuropathy can lead to the weakening of muscles that support your joints especially the ankle joint. Hence a particular kind of diabetic shoe and socks may help. For example – an addition of a thicker, more shock-absorbing sole and shoes designed to support the ankle joint to maintain correct posture and reduce the chances of joint dislocations.
My doctor told me not to go barefoot anywhere as my sugars are fluctuating. Any reason why?
Walking barefoot invites injury and your feet are of extra concern when you have diabetic neuropathy. Fluctuating glucose levels lead to poor blood flow that eventually damages the nerves, you may not even notice this cut but if it escalates to an infection it could endanger your life.
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