Diabetic neuropathy is a complication that marks nerve damage. Medically, it is a family of nerve disorders that diabetes can cause in a patient.
This is why you often come across the different types of diabetic neuropathies. Over time, the diabetic patients can develop nerve damage in different areas of the body.
Diabetic Neuropathy occurrence
At least 60% diabetic patients suffer from some kind of neuropathy. The damage is more common in those who are suffering from the disease since at least 25 years or are aged. It is also common in those who have issues in regulating their blood glucose, fat, or even blood pressure. This means that neuropathy can even hit an overweight person.
The causes tend to differ from one type of diabetic neuropathy to another. In most cases, nerve damage is likely due to a blend of different factors such as the autoimmune, metabolic, and the neurovascular ones. The autoimmune factors lead to inflammation in nerves, while the metabolic ones damage the blood vessels supplying nutrients and oxygen to the nerves.
The metabolic factors such as high blood glucose and abnormal fat levels also damage the nerves. In some cases, a mechanical injury to the nerves, lifestyle factors such as smoking, or an inherited trait is attributed as the cause.
Diabetic Neuropathy symptoms
Some of the most common symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain, wasting of the hands and feet muscles, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, faintness after standing or sitting up, urination problems, weakness, vaginal dryness in women, and erectile dysfunction in men.
From the symptoms, it is easy to conclude that nerve damage can occur in any system or organ, including the digestive system and the hands. A few people with nerve damage, may however, never show any of these symptoms.
To keep the nerve damage under control, it is essential to control the blood glucose level. Doing so since the early detection of diabetes can even prevent diabetic neuropathy.
