Over time, patients may develop nerve damage throughout the body.
Some people with nerve damage have no symptoms sometimes.
While others may experience symptoms such as pain, tingling, or numbness in the arms, hands, and feet.
Nerve problems can occur also on organ systems, including the digestive tract, heart, and s*x organs.
Approximately 60-70 percent of people with diabetes have some type of neuropathy. Diabetics can suffer nerve problems at any time, but the risk increases with duration of diabetes.
Highest level neuropathy occurs in people who have had diabetes at least 25 years.
Diabetic neuropathy also appears more common in people who have problems controlling blood glucose, blood lipid levels and have high blood pressure, as well as overweight.
What causes diabetic neuropathy?
Cause of various types of diabetic neuropathy may be different. Researchers are still studying how to contact with high blood glucose that is too long can cause nerve damage.
Nerve damage may be caused by some combination of the following factors:
1. Metabolic factors, such as high blood glucose, duration of diabetes, abnormal blood fat levels, and possibly low levels of insulin.
2. Neurovascular factors that cause damage to the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves.
3. Autoimmune factors that cause inflammation of the nerves.
4. Mechanical injury to nerves, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
5. Heredity factors or descendants that increase susceptibility to neurological diseases.
6. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking or alcohol consumption.
So what are the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy?
Symptoms that appear depend on the type of neuropathy and which nerves are affected. Some people with nerve damage sometimes no symptoms at all.
For others, symptoms typically first appear numbness, tingling, or pain in the feet.
At first the symptoms are usually mild, and because most nerve damage occurs over several years, mild cases may go unnoticed for a long time.
Symptoms can involve motor nerves, sensory nerves, and the autonomic nervous system. In some people, especially those with focal neuropathy, the onset of pain may appear suddenly and severely.
Some of the symptoms that often arises is as follows:
1. numbness, tingling, or pain in the fingers, hands, arms, feet, and toes
2. stiffness in the muscles of the legs or arms
3. indigestion, nausea, or vomiting
4. diarrhea or constipation
5. dizziness or fainting due to drop in blood pressure after standing or sitting
6. problems with urination
7. erectile dysfunction in men or v,ginal dryness in women
8. weakness
Symptoms are not due to neuropathy, but often accompany it, include weight loss and depression.
