Radiculopathy is often confused with neuropathy. An estimated nine million people with diabetes have symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, which can occur. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy. It can affect nerves in the feet, legs, hands and the arms.
It usually starts in the feet and usually affects both feet at the same time. Most often, the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy affect both sides of the body. Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy in the UK. Neuropathy can also be caused by other health problems and by certain medications.
A number of conditions, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and certain infections, can mimic the symptoms of neuropathy, which can lead to misdiagnoses. The pain, numbness, tingling, burning and shaking, as well as the weakness and loss of strength and coordination associated with both carpal tunnel syndrome and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, are often indistinguishable. The most common causes range from diabetes and alcoholism to vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases and some medications. This type of neuropathy is more common in people with type 2 diabetes and in older adults with diabetes.
Diabetic patients often experience neuropathy in their feet and may wonder if their symptoms are a form of carpal tunnel. Diabetic neuropathy, specifically the most common form (called peripheral neuropathy), affects nerves in the hands, arms, feet and legs. Monitoring blood glucose levels, meal planning, physical activity, and medications for diabetes or insulin will help control blood glucose levels. This condition can appear at any age and is becoming more common, especially with increasing rates of diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy may go undiagnosed for years or develop early with associated conditions, such as prediabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Diabetic neuropathies also appear to be more common in people who have problems controlling blood glucose, also called blood sugar, as well as in people with high levels of blood fat and blood pressure and in people who are overweight. With the increase in cases of diabetes, it's no surprise that this condition plays an important role in the increase in cases of neuropathy. Managing diabetes and keeping blood glucose at safe levels can help reduce or eliminate symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic neuropathy can help control symptoms and prevent diabetic complications.
Many people with diabetes have signs of neuropathy that the doctor can detect, but they don't feel any symptoms themselves. In peripheral inflammatory neuropathies, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), the body's immune system mistakenly attacks peripheral nerves, damaging myelin and weakening signaling along the affected nerves.
