Diabetes is a condition that can cause a wide range of complications, one of which is diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. There are several types of diabetic neuropathy, depending on the parts of the body impacted. Signs of diabetic nerve damage in feet and hands may be different to symptoms if organs are damaged, or the nerves that cause movement, but you need to be aware of them all if you are to prevent, identify or treat diabetic neuropathy.
What is diabetic neuropathy?
Nerves carry signals to and from the brain to other parts of the body. Sensory nerves help us register and interpret the things we see, hear and feel, whilst motor nerves allow us to move. When diabetes causes frequent or prolonged high blood sugar levels, this can stop blood from reaching the nerves to supply them with essential nutrients. When the nerve is subsequently damaged or even disappears, that is diabetic neuropathy. It is the most common diabetes-related complication, affecting around half the population, both type 1 and type 2.
What are the different types of diabetic neuropathy?
There are four types of diabetic neuropathy. Each impacts a different part of the body because different nerves have been damaged:
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
This develops around the body’s extremities, particularly the feet and hands, rather than the brain and spinal cord. Signs of diabetic nerve damage in feet and hands include tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, loss of coordination and loss of balance. It may cause pain that is stabbing, shooting or burning in sensation.
Diabetic sensory neuropathy
Also often affecting the hands and feet, diabetic sensory neuropathy can result in a loss of sensation. You may not be able to detect changes in temperature or even feel pain. This is of particular concern as you may not notice if you are injured. Lack of treatment could then lead to the development of ulcers or infections.
Diabetic motor neuropathy
Damage to the nerves that enable us to move is known as motor neuropathy. You may experience muscle weakness, twitching or cramps, and it could cause issues with coordination and balance. This, in turn, can lead to difficulty with fine motor skills such as fastening and unfastening buttons or may even cause falls. In the long term, the muscles may begin to waste away.
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy
Some nerves support the functioning of organs, including the heart, lungs and stomach. If they are damaged, you may experience an irregular heartbeat, diarrhoea, bloating, constipation, incontinence (loss of bladder control), dizziness, issues with sweating or impotence/erectile dysfunction. This is diabetic autonomic neuropathy.
How do you treat diabetic neuropathy?
Treatment for diabetic neuropathy depends on the type and symptoms. There are medications that can help manage pain or nausea, or prevent erectile dysfunction. Experiments have been conducted around the potential impact of electrical stimulation on diabetic neuropathy, though results are not yet conclusive.
To try and avoid or minimise neuropathy, it is particularly important to check your feet every day. You can do this yourself, but it should also be part of your regular annual checkup with a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional. This will allow you to spot early signs of neuropathy and take immediate steps to counter it before it can become more serious. It will also ensure that if you have sensory neuropathy that prevents you feeling pain, you detect the injury before it can become infected.
You also need to manage your diabetes more generally. The better controlled your blood sugar and other aspects of your health, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, the more likely you can lessen the effects of neuropathy, or even stop it developing in the first place. Milder neuropathy may be reversed, but sometimes the damage it causes is permanent.
The consequences of diabetic neuropathy can be severe. That is why it is so important to be alert to any possible signs of diabetic nerve damage in feet and hands, and it is one of the reasons that you should manage your diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol carefully. It is much easier to prevent neuropathy developing, or to treat it in the early stages, than it is to repair the damage after the fact.
Diabetic Neuropathy FAQs
How does diabetes cause nerve damage?
Recurring high blood sugar from diabetes interferes with the flow of blood to the nerves. Without this blood, they do not receive the nutrients they need to function and may become damaged or entirely disappear. As transmissions through the nerves control things such as movement and our ability to sense stimuli, this can have a wide range of potential consequences.
What are the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy?
It depends on which nerves are damaged. You may experience tingling, numbness or pain, particularly in the extremities such as the hands and feet. Muscle weakness and wastage are possible, as are cramps. You may struggle with coordination and balance. Nerve damage may also interfere with your digestive system, your breathing or even give you an irregular heartbeat.
Can diabetic neuropathy be treated?
Sometimes. Often, it is more about treating individual symptoms than repairing the damaged nerves, as these cannot always be restored. For instance, there are medications to help with pain management. The most important thing is to manage your diabetes, including a healthy diet and regular exercise. You should be monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol as well as your blood sugar.
