Diabetic Neuropathy – Making Diabetes Worse!
Diabetic patients must beware the complication known as diabetic neuropathy. This condition arises due to the elevated blood glucose levels that attends severe diabetes. The glucose damages the nerves, a condition known as neuropathy in medical parlance.
In the war against diabetic neuropathy, information is the only way to vanquish it. What is diabetic neuropathy, what are its symptoms and how it can be controlled, those are the questions we're going to answer here.
Diabetic neuropathy occurs in three forms: focal, peripheral, and autonomic. Focal neuropathy affects the nerves on an individual basis. Generally, but not exclusively, the nerves of the lower limbs are affected. Peripheral diabetic neuropathy affects the entire network of nerves comprising the peripheral nervous system. Autonomic diabetic neuropathy damages the nerves of the autonomic nervous system.
The chief symptoms of nerve damage due to diabetic neuropathy are listed here:
The patient feels abnormally hot or cold, and sometimes both.
The patient faces uncontrollable urges to urinate suddenly. The same effect may apply to bowel movement but to a lesser extent.
The patient suffers from episodes of belching or flatulence or vomiting.
The patient suffers from sexual disorders which prevent sexual functionality.
Erratic heartbeat, poor blood circulation, and heart seizures.
Loss of sensory functionality is a very dangerous side-effect of diabetic neuropathy. The patient's very ability to know about his environment is gone. He won't know whether he's been cut on his foot, or whether a scorpion has stung him. This could lead to grievous physical harm and even more potentially life-threatening situations.
Symptomatic relief of diabetic neuropathy is possible in a number of ways. Symptomatic relief does not imply relief of the underlying condition causing the symptom. The condition will remain, but its attendant side-effects can be relieved.
The patient's blood glucose should be closely monitored to prevent it from rising out of control and aggravating diabetic neuropathy. Medications for specific symptomatic problems can be availed of. Intolerable pain can be relieved with pain relievers. Sexual disorders can be treated using topical creams and lubricants. The patient should be regular in taking the treatment prescribed by a qualified physician. Diabetic neuropathy can be fatal! Take heed of the warning and make use of the information contained in this article, and diabetic neuropathy will surely recede into the past!