What Are the Causes of Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy refers to the progressive loss of nerve fibers brought on by nerve-related changes and complications from diabetes. These changes occur in both type I (early onset diabetes) and in type 2 (late-onset diabetes) and are related to increased sugar levels in blood. In type I disease, these conditions present after many years.

Causes

• The factors that lead to such a nerve damage are related to complications involving the small blood vessels. The problem is related to a lack of blood flowing into the extremities. The most common complication due to diabetic neuropathy is seen in the feet.

Symptoms

• Sensory symptoms include numbness, pain, tingling sensation, loss of sensation and loss of vibration sense. The pain of neuropathy can be very severe, and can be of short duration or become chronic. Muscle weakness can also result. When the neuropathy affects the nerves attached to the organs, other symptoms can develop, such as diarrhea, constipation, difficulty in controlling bladder, light headedness, sensitivity to bright light and sexual dysfunction.

Initial Sign

• The first sign that someone may be developing diabetic neuropathy is a loss of feeling in the extremities, particularly the toes. Sometimes the toes may feel a pinprick sensation, such as the feeling of the foot being "asleep." When the problem worsens, the sensations can move further up the legs and even further up the body.

Complications

• One of the most significant and common complication involves the loss of sensation in the feet. This may increase the chances that a minor injury in the foot may go unnoticed, which can lead to ulcers or infection. The immune system is also functioning below par and hence the body is unable to fully respond to the infection. There is also a difficulty in healing.

Treatments

• The best step towards prevention is to keep sugar levels in check. Also important are routine exams of injury-prone areas such as the foot and soles and attending to an injury promptly. Once an non-healing ulcer or infection develops, aggressive management may still not prevent the loss of that toe/foot and amputation may be warranted. Hence the best treatment strategy is prevention.