Do all people with diabetes end up with neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy is one of the many complications of chronic diabetes. Neuropathy usually occurs around 8 to 10 years after the onset of diabetes. However, it is not uncommon to see patients with neuropathic symptoms who are diagnosed with diabetes at that time or patients with 20 or more years of diabetes with little or no evidence of neuropathy. About half of people with diabetes have nerve damage.
Often, symptoms don't start until many years after a diabetes diagnosis. Some people who have diabetes that develops slowly already have nerve damage when they are first diagnosed. You can help prevent diabetic neuropathy by keeping blood sugar levels within ideal limits, which will help protect the blood vessels that supply the nerves. So what exactly is diabetes and where does it come from? An organ in the body called the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
People with diabetes have too much sugar in their blood because their body can't transport glucose to fat, liver and muscle cells to transform and store it for energy. Diabetic neuropathy usually develops slowly over time and can cause symptoms, such as pain, numbness, and tingling. These other nerve problems will not have the same symptoms and will progress in a different way than nerve damage caused by diabetes. A number of experimental therapeutic trials are currently under way, including a placebo-controlled trial of tramadol hydrochloride in painful diabetic neuropathy and a study on the therapeutic effect of zopolrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on peripheral symmetric diabetic polyneuropathy.
The neuropathy of diabetes can also affect the autonomic nervous system and cause problems with sweating, blood pressure, and sexual function. To diagnose diabetic neuropathy, the doctor may perform several tests, such as nerve conduction studies and electromyography. People can take several steps at home to ease the pain and discomfort caused by diabetic neuropathy, a possible complication of diabetes. Keep reading to learn more about how long it takes for diabetic neuropathy to develop and what symptoms may occur.
However, careful management of diabetes, including keeping your blood sugar level as close to the goal as possible and controlling blood fat levels and blood pressure, can prevent damage from occurring or prevent it from worsening if you already have some of the symptoms. People with diabetes are more likely to be hospitalized for a foot ulcer than for any other complication of diabetes. Talk to your healthcare team that specializes in diabetes for advice if you think you're developing any signs of neuropathy. Type 2 diabetes is a wake-up call to focus on diet and exercise to try to control blood sugar and prevent problems.
Diabetic neuropathy describes a type of nerve damage in people with diabetes that affects several nerves in the body.
