Neuropathy:
One Of The Common
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
Neuropathy, or nerve damage, is a common complication of uncontrolled blood sugars in any of the types of diabetes. Often the pain and tingling sensations initially felt in your arms and legs is a warning sign of the early symptoms of diabetes. Common Symptoms Of Nerve DamageHigh blood sugars over time will damage the nervous system. Eventually becoming "confused", the signals to all parts of your body start timing incorrectly leading to the pain and tingling which is felt over the extremities. Common symptoms of neuropathy you will start noticing include:- shooting or stabbing pains
- burning, tickling or prickly feelings
- excessive weakness or fatigue in your hands or feet
- muscle weakness in the thighs or cheekbones
- an increased lack of urine control
- possible loss of sexual function
The continuous loss of your natural sensations, especially to the feet, has many patients reporting secondary accidents or illnesses. You could be walking around with a stone in your shoe for the entire day cutting into your skin and you do not even realize it. Also it is frequently reported that at bath time it is common for a diabetic to receive 1st or 2nd degree burns on their feet because you did not realize your bath water was too hot. Any type of accidental injury to your foot is generally because of the loss of sensation so that your brain does not register the pain because of damaged nerves. Treatment Plan For NeuropathyBefore diabetes and nerve damage, a small cut on your foot was no big deal. Wait a couple of days and it would heal itself. Now though, loss of sensation means less blood is getting to the extremity. Blood is a carrier of healing oxygenated properties which are required to prevent an infection. Slow healing therefore signals a lack of blood flow which increases the risk of infection. That leads to the possibility of a foot ulcer which eventually could result in amputation. To prevent this cycle, first and foremost see a doctor. Small cuts do become major risk factors for anyone with diabetes. Always wear good comfortable shoes daily and wash, dry and inspect your feet daily for any trouble areas.By making a concerted effort to get your blood sugars back under control, time alone will help to re-generate some of the nerve damage inflicted by neuropathy. Until then, many doctors may recommend the use of anti-depressants to help alleviate the pain. Some natural remedies also include the use of capsaicin cream which will block the pain receptors signals being sent to the brain. Every single healing treatment though hinges on the patient taking the initiative to obtain and then maintain better blood sugar control.
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