Peripheral neuropathy is a disease of the nerves. It most often starts in your feet. It may eventually affect the arms. It is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Find out more about peripheral neuropathy by taking this quiz.
1. Peripheral neuropathy can lead to numbness and sometimes pain and weakness in the arms and legs.
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The symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. The nerves might control muscles or your sense of touch, or control your internal organs (autonomic). Problems with sensation can occur in hands, arms, legs, and feet. Damage to nerves that control the function of organs can cause health problems affecting the digestive tract, heart and circulatory system, and sex organs. Weakness itself could more likely be caused by a stroke. This is especially true if it comes on suddenly.
2. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk for neuropathy.
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More than half of the people with diabetes have some form of neuropathy, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says. People who have had diabetes for at least 25 years have the highest rates of nerve damage. Neuropathies are also more common in people who can't keep their blood sugar under control. They are also more common in people with high blood pressure or who are obese.
3. Researchers have linked diabetic nerve damage to a combination of factors. These include high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.
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Researchers aren't sure exactly how the damage occurs. But they think that over time, this combination damages the nerves. They also suspect that the nerves may be damaged by an autoimmune response set off by diabetes. They also suspect that smoking or alcohol abuse contributes to the problem.
4. Some people with peripheral neuropathy can have no symptoms.
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The symptoms of neuropathy depend on which nerves are affected and the type of nerves affected. According to the NIDDK, some people may have no symptoms. Others have mild to severe numbness, tingling, or pain in the feet or hands. Other people have symptoms such as indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, urination problems, and erectile dysfunction or vaginal dryness.
5. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are often worse in the morning.
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Symptoms are often worse at night. Peripheral neuropathy affects the peripheries of the body. These are the toes, feet, legs, hands, and arms, the NIDDK says. Symptoms include:
Numbness to pain or temperature in those areas
A tingling, burning, or prickling feeling
Sharp pain or cramps
Extreme sensitivity to touch
Problems with balance and coordination
6. Treatment for neuropathy focuses on surgery.
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Treatment focuses on controlling blood sugar. Bringing blood sugar under control helps prevent further nerve damage. This may be done by better meal planning, exercise, medicine, and watching blood sugar and A1c levels. Symptoms may get worse at first. But then they may ease as normal blood sugar levels are maintained, the NIDDK says. If pain is a problem, your doctor also may prescribe a pain reliever or other medicines that treat pain. Your doctor can also help with problems linked to digestion, urinary and sexual functions, and dizziness. You may have nerve pain from more than one cause. Some of those other causes may be helped by surgery. So work with your doctor to have a full assessment of your condition.
Pay special attention to areas of your body affected by neuropathy. If your feet and legs are affected, check those areas every day for wounds or sores or other problems. Call your healthcare provider if you have an open sore or have any injury to your arm, legs, fingers, or toes.
More than 18 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes and more than 5 million more have diabetes but don't realize it, according to the CDC. Yet diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
