What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Diabetic Neuropathy are nerve damaging disorders associated with diabetes mellitus.
These conditions are thought to result from diabetic microvascular injury involving small blood vessels that supply nerves (vasa nervorum) in addition to macrovascular conditions that can culminate in diabetic neuropathy.
Diabetic neuropathy is a common serious complication of diabetes. Yet one can often prevent diabetic neuropathy or slow its progress with tight blood sugar control and a healthy lifestyle.
Causes Of Diabetic Neuropathy:
Diabetic neuropathy may be caused by any of the following reasons:
- Damage to nerves and blood vessels
Prolonged exposure to high blood sugar can damage delicate nerve fibers, causing diabetic neuropathy
- Inflammation in the nervescaused by an autoimmune response. This occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks part of the body as if it were a foreign organism.
- Genetic factorsunrelated to diabetes that make some people more susceptible to nerve damage.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse,which damage both nerves and blood vessels and significantly increase the risk of infections
Anyone who has diabetes can develop neuropathy, but these factors make you more susceptible to nerve damage:
- Poor blood sugar control.This is the greatest risk factor for every complication of diabetes, including nerve damage.
- Length of time you have diabetes.
- Kidney disease.Diabetes can cause damage to the kidneys, which may increase the toxins in the blood and contribute to nerve damage.
- Being overweight.Having a body mass index greater than 24 may increase your risk of developing diabetic neuropathy.
Symptoms Of Diabetic Neuropathy:
The following symptoms may be exhibited by those suffering from diabetic neuropathy:
- Trouble with balance
- Numbness and tingling of extremities
- Dysesthesia (abnormal sensation to a body part)
- Diarrhea
- Erectile dysfunction
- Urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control)
- Facial, mouth and eyelid drooping
- Vision changes
- Dizziness
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Speech impairment
- Fasciculation (muscle contractions)
- Anorgasmia
- Retrograde ejaculation (in males)
- Burning or electric pain
- Low blood pressure
- Blanking out if one stands too quickly
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bloating
Diagnosis Of Diabetic Neuropathy:
Diabetic neuropathy can be diagnosed via:
- Medical history
- Physical exam
- Filament test
- Nerve conduction studies
- EMG
- Quantitative sensory testing
- Autonomic testing
Treatment Of Diabetic Neuropathy:
Diabetic neuropathy has no known cure. Treatment for diabetic neuropathy focuses on:
- Slowing progression of the disease
- Relieving pain
- Managing complications and restoring function
The following medications are prescribed in order to relieve pain:
- Anti-seizure medications.
- gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin)
- pregabalin (Lyrica)
- carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol)
Tricyclic antidepressant medications, such as:
- Amitriptyline
- desipramine (Norpramin)
- imipramine (Tofranil),
By : Natural Health News
