Do you feel tingling or pricking sensation in your toes? Do your hands and feet get numb more than usual? Do you face issues during sexual arousal? If yes, then do you have diabetes? If you face any of the above symptoms, then there are fair amount of chances that you are suffering from diabetic nerve damage – a progressive disease that can lead to serious health problems.
Diabetic nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy, as it is more commonly called, is a neuropathic disorder associated with damage of nerves because of high glucose levels in the blood. The disease is found to be associated with about 60% of the diabetic patients. Though diabetics can develop diabetic neuropathy at any time during their life, the risk is said increase as the age or disease progresses. Moreover, the risk is said to be higher in patients who fail to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
Diabetic neuropathy is a symptomatic problem, but in some diabetics with nerve damage, there are no symptoms at all. However, proportion of such patients is very less. The most common early signs of diabetic nerve damage include numbness or pain in feet and hands, along with tingling. Usually, the symptoms vary according to the nerve being affected. Since nerve damage occurs over the years, most of the times, initial symptoms are often minor and go unnoticed. Nerve damage can involve sensory, motor or autonomic nervous system. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathyinclude:
Signs & Symptoms of Diabetic Nerve Pain
Diabetic patients often complain of numbness, pain or tingling in their toes, feet, legs, arms, hands, fingers, hips, buttocks, and thighs. These types of symptoms commonly occur in peripheral neuropathy, which is said to affect toes, feet, legs, arms and hands.
Diabetic nerve damage can lead to muscle wasting. Due to this, you may feel weakness or loss of sensation in the muscles of your feet or hands. This condition is known as focal neuropathy.
Due to diabetic nerve damage, you may develop troubles in digesting food, which further leads to indigestion, nausea, vomiting, feeling fuller even after eating small amount of food, constipation, diarrhea and troubles while swallowing food.
Diabetic neuropathy can also cause dizziness or faintness. This may occur due to a sudden drop in the blood pressure.
High Heart Rate
You may also suffer from high heart beat and pain in the chest, which can eventually lead to heart attack.
People will diabetic neuropathies often complain problems with urination. Due to weakening of nerves, they may face issues in holding up urine for long periods, may leak urine or face issues in telling when their bladder is full.
Due to autonomic neuropathy, diabetic patients may suffer dis-functioning of sexual organs. Men may face erectile dysfunction, while women report vaginal dryness and difficulty in achieving orgasm.
Weakness and Sweating
Diabetic neuropathy can lead to overall weakness in the body, fatigue, and frequent sweating, even when the temperature is cool.
Early detection and treatment is the best way of controlling diabetic nerve disorder and preventing its long-term consequences.