Nerve disease is a side effect of diabetes, and like diabetes the symptoms appear quietly.
It generally occurs in diabetics over 40 years old and who have poor blood sugar control. It has been found to affect around 60% of all diagnosed diabetics, and often causes necessary foot amputations and infections.
It generally appears after 10 years or more of high blood sugar levels, and occurs in both type 1 and 2 diabetics. It can be cured however, simply by controlling blood glucose, making contraction of the disease in the first place totally avoidable.
Drinking does not help, and combined with poor glucose control, can contribute to this disease. Those with longer nerves, ie tall people are generally at more risk of contracting this disease.
There are a number of symptoms to be aware of. The most obvious include an inability to feel any sensation in your feet.
Once sensation begins to be lost, it is very important that you make a point of making a visual check of your feet on a daily basis. This is to check for further damage, particularly when almost all sensation is lost.
In fact the most common problem is foot ulcers. In non diabetics, any pressure on the sole of the foot will show itself with pain. Diabetic neuropathy means that this pain is not felt by the sufferer, and after some time, the skin begins to harden in the area being pressurised. Over time this turns into a callus, which eventually forms an ulcer.
Because of the loss of feeling, if there is also a lack of foot inspection, the ulcer can spread. Ultimately, once the ulcer reaches a certain size, the only option is amputation.
By following certain rules you can prevent neuropathy:
- Monitor blood sugar levels and respond accordingly.
- Consult a doctor if you suffer form high stress levels.
- Take regular exercise. High levels of cholesterol clog blood vessels and contribute to neuropathy. Exercise, which can be something as simple as walking, helps reduce cholesterol.
-Smoking. Smoking is a major cause of peripheral arterial disease, which affects your feet first. Consider giving it up.
It generally occurs in diabetics over 40 years old and who have poor blood sugar control. It has been found to affect around 60% of all diagnosed diabetics, and often causes necessary foot amputations and infections.
It generally appears after 10 years or more of high blood sugar levels, and occurs in both type 1 and 2 diabetics. It can be cured however, simply by controlling blood glucose, making contraction of the disease in the first place totally avoidable.
Drinking does not help, and combined with poor glucose control, can contribute to this disease. Those with longer nerves, ie tall people are generally at more risk of contracting this disease.
There are a number of symptoms to be aware of. The most obvious include an inability to feel any sensation in your feet.
Once sensation begins to be lost, it is very important that you make a point of making a visual check of your feet on a daily basis. This is to check for further damage, particularly when almost all sensation is lost.
In fact the most common problem is foot ulcers. In non diabetics, any pressure on the sole of the foot will show itself with pain. Diabetic neuropathy means that this pain is not felt by the sufferer, and after some time, the skin begins to harden in the area being pressurised. Over time this turns into a callus, which eventually forms an ulcer.
Because of the loss of feeling, if there is also a lack of foot inspection, the ulcer can spread. Ultimately, once the ulcer reaches a certain size, the only option is amputation.
By following certain rules you can prevent neuropathy:
- Monitor blood sugar levels and respond accordingly.
- Consult a doctor if you suffer form high stress levels.
- Take regular exercise. High levels of cholesterol clog blood vessels and contribute to neuropathy. Exercise, which can be something as simple as walking, helps reduce cholesterol.
-Smoking. Smoking is a major cause of peripheral arterial disease, which affects your feet first. Consider giving it up.
About the Author:
If you do smoke, consider taking up a hobby. Toby, the writer of this article and a type 2 diabetic, smoked and suffered from hypertension. To ease his stress, he took up the Martin Backpacker guitar which he finds very effective at tackling stress. His Martin Backpacker guitar sounds great and is easy to transport.
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