EARLY SIGNS OF DIABETES

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Your peripheral nervous system connects the nerves from your brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system, to the rest of your body. This includes your:

• arms

• hands

• feet

• legs

• internal organs

• mouth

• face

The job of these nerves is to deliver signals about physical sensations back to your brain.

Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder that occurs when these nerves malfunction because they’re damaged or destroyed. This disrupts the nerves’ normal functioning. They might send signals of pain when there’s nothing causing pain, or they might not send a pain signal even if something is harming you. This can be due to:

• an injury

• systemic illness

• an infection

• an inherited disorder

The disorder is uncomfortable, but treatments can be very helpful. The most important thing to determine is whether peripheral neuropathy is the result of a serious underlying condition.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy

The three types of peripheral nerves are:

• sensory nerves, which connect to your skin

• motor nerves, which connect to your muscles

• autonomic nerves, which connect to your internal organs

Peripheral neuropathy can affect one nerve group or all three.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:

• tingling in the hands or feet

• a feeling like you’re wearing a tight glove or sock

• sharp, stabbing pains

• numbness in the hands or feet

• a weak, heavy feeling in the arms and legs, which sometimes may feel like your legs or arms lock in place

• regularly dropping things from your hands

• a buzzing or shocking sensation

• thinning of the skin

• a drop in blood pressure

• sexual dysfunction, especially in men

• constipation

• digestive difficulty

• diarrhea

• excessive sweating

The causes of peripheral neuropathy

People who have a family history of peripheral neuropathy are more likely to develop the disorder. However, a variety of factors and underlying conditions may also cause this condition.

Generalized diseases

Nerve damage caused by diabetes is one of the most common forms of neuropathy. This leads to numbness, pain, and a loss of sensation in the extremities. The risk of neuropathy increases for people who:

• are overweight

• have high blood pressure

• are over the age of 40

• have diabetes

How is peripheral neuropathy diagnosed?

First, your physician will perform a physical exam and ask about your clinical history. If they still can’t tell whether your symptoms are due to peripheral neuropathy, other tests to perform include:

• Blood tests can measure vitamin and blood sugar levels and determine whether your thyroid is functioning correctly.

• Your physician may also order a CT scan or MRI to see if anything is pressing on a nerve, such as a herniated disk or a tumor.

• Sometimes your physician will order a nerve biopsy. This is a minor operation that involves removing a small amount of nerve tissue that they can then examine under a microscope.

Treating Conditions Causing Neuropathy

Treating acquired neuropathies requires taking care of the underlying issue causing the nerve dysfunction. This can involve, among other things:

• Abstaining from liquor

• Avoiding toxin exposure

• Correcting nutritional imbalances by taking vitamin supplements and altering your diet

• Changing treatments

• Undergoing an operation to relieve nerve pressure

• Treating infections

Managing Neuropathy with Healthy Habits

There are a number of beneficial lifestyle habits or home remedies that can help manage neuropathic symptoms. These include:

• Exercising regularly to reduce cramps, improve muscle strength, prevent muscle atrophy, and help control blood glucose levels

• Eating a healthy diet to correct nutritional deficiencies and improve gastrointestinal symptoms

• Quitting nicotine, which can affect blood circulation and worsen neuropathic symptoms

• Avoiding body positions that put prolonged pressure on certain nerves, such as keeping the knees crossed

• Stimulating the nerves and improving circulation by gently rubbing problematic areas associated with neuropathy, such as the feet and legs

Treating Neuropathic Pain

Nerve pain, or neuropathic pain, is a common symptom associated with neuropathy.

Anti-inflammatory treatment and suctances may help reduce mild pain, but other clinical methods may be more effective.

Various non clinical therapies to treat neuropathic pain also exist.

These include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in which an electric current is sent through the body, and nerve block, in which an anesthetic is induced directly into the area around a problematic nerve to disrupt the transmission of the pain signal to the brain.

Various non clinical therapies to treat neuropathic pain also exist.

These include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in which an electric current is sent through the body, and nerve block, in which an anesthetic is induced directly into the area around a problematic nerve to disrupt the transmission of the pain signal to the brain.

Alternative Treatments for Neuropathy

Several complementary or alternative treatments exist for neuropathy.

Various studies have shown that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for neuropathy; for instance, a 2007 pilot study in the European Journal of Neurology found that 76 percent of people treated with acupuncture experienced an improvement to their neuropathic symptoms.

However, a 2014 review in the journal PLoS ONE found that while acupuncture may be beneficial for treating diabetic neuropathy, studies that have investigated the matter might have been biased.

Some research also suggests that alpha-lipoic acid, a natural compound produced by the body, can help treat diabetic neuropathy.

The compound, when taken orally, may reduce pain, numbness, and “pins-and-needles” sensations, according to a 2009 article in the journal The Review of Diabetic Studies.

Other alternative treatments for neuropathy and neuropathic pain include fish oil supplements, amino acids, and various herbs, including curcumin, geranium oil, and evening primrose oil.