Understanding Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy And Its Symptoms

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition of nerve damage, resulting in a tingling, painful, or burning sensation in either of the extremities. Though it commonly occurs in legs, other symptoms include weakness and numbness. Peripheral neuropathy also occurs in case of poor diabetes health, but numerous conditions are responsible for the cause. Diabetic peripheral neuropathyis a condition of nerve damage that is caused when the glucose and blood sugar chronically shoots up. This leads to numbness, loss of sensation, and pain in feet, legs, or hands. It is the most common complication of diabetes.

What causes nerve damage?

More than 65% of people suffering from diabetes develop peripheral neuropathy, though not all go through the process of pain it is not inevitable. Expert studies have shown that diabetics can reduce this nerve damage by keeping their sugar in check. The nerve-damage is caused due to high levels of blood and glucose. Primary reason being careless consumption of sugar, lack of physical activity and no-weight control. Other factors being the high-blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and nerve inflammation. Numbness is the most common symptom of nerve damage.

The numbness causes body pain; it damages the internal organs of the body which disturbs the blood flow and causes a problem in the veins and arteries as well. When blood sugar shoots up chronically, it affects not just the extremities but also the other parts of the body. Due to the nerve damage, they fail to carry messages between the brain and the other parts of the body.  This causes cold feet and hands and loss of sensation. In case, one gets cut or sore on their feet, they will not feel any sensation. Even when the shoes don’t fit properly, one can develop a foot ulcer. The diabetic peripheral neuropathy starts from the legs, but unfortunately, it has other symptoms as well which include:

Symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy cause pain in different parts of the body and can also damage physical mobility. 

Shooting pain

Diabetic nerve damage shows itself differently in each person. Some feel the tingling sensation at first, with the onset of pain later-on. It becomes gradually worse as the condition progresses. People tend to ignore these signs but then it damages extensively to the other parts of the body.

Feeling numbness

One may experience sensitivity to touch and feel the sensation of tingling or numbness in toes, feet, legs, or hands.It feels like that one doesn’t have legs to walk or sometimes, it feels heavier than it usually is. The sensation is uncomfortable, weird and leads to unbearable pain.

Loss of balance

Due to all these nerves and vein problems the person can’t walk properly and balance their body when in constant motion. This ruins their body posture and doesn’t let the person move properly. There are chances that a person might also fall while walking.

Tingling

Tingling is an unusual loss of sensation in the hands and legs. Tingling is often associated with numbness and makes it very difficult for the person to use their hands and legs to use for common purposes.

Burning sensations

The numbness in hands makes it difficult for the person to lift a cup of hot coffee, tea, or even water. The person feels the burning sensation and can’t lift the cup too easily. It becomes a difficult task for a person facing diabetic nerve damage. 

Soreness

The joint pain causes soreness, and muscle pain. The muscle starts aching anytime when the person is sitting or sleeping. This weakens the joints and nerves of the body and causes soreness.

Improper sleep

Lack of physical activity leads to lack of sleep. The improper mobility of the hands and legs doesn’t allow the person to exercise well or stay active throughout the day. The person feels pain, but not tired. This leads to improper sleep and causes mental pain as well.

Thus, these are the painful symptoms that a victim of diabetic peripheral neuropathyexperiences. With this, people with type 2 diabetes suffer from multiple health problems and this condition of peripheral neuropathy is something that is hard to diagnose at first. It requires one to be aware of their sensation and early onset of issues to register with it.

Don’t delay the pain, and in cases of neuropathy feet treatment or as a whole, it is important to see an expert medical practitioner for it.