Diabetic neuropathy occurs in diabetic patients and causes nerve damage. A spiked level of blood sugar levels can injure the nerve fibers inside the body. However, diabetic neuropathy mainly damages the nerves in the legs and feet. Diabetic neuropathy symptoms can differ based on what kind of neuropathy you have.
Diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from the problems you have been having with your digestive tracks to numbness in your feet or other problems in your vessels and heart. There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy. Your diabetic neuropathy symptoms will depend on the following:
Peripheral neuropathy
It is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy symptom. In this, your feet will start to get affected to begin with. This is then followed by the hands and the arms. The signs and diabetic neuropathy symptoms of this kind of neuropathy include:
- Numbness in certain body parts
- Temperature changes your body might feel
- Sharp cramps or shooting pains
- An increase in your sensitivity to touch
- Burning and tingling sensations
- Weakness in the muscles
- A loss in the reflexes
- Loss of balance as well as coordination
- Ulcers in the feet, bone and joint pains.
Autonomic neuropathy
The heart, lungs, bladder, stomach, sex organs, intestines and the eyes are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Any of these areas and the nerves running in them can be affected by diabetes, causing autonomic neuropathy. These diabetic neuropathy symptoms are as follows:
- Bladder issues like urinary tract infections
- Difficulty retaining urine
- Decreased blood sugar levels
- Erectile dysfunction (in men)
- Uncontrolled diarrhea or constipation
- Increased gastric
- Vomiting, nausea or loss of appetite
- Inability of the body to adjust to a normal blood pressure and a stable heart rate
- Difficulty while swallowing
- Feeling light-headed or fainting at times
- Issues in keeping your body temperatures normal
- Problem adjusting your eyes to the light and the dark
- Increased heart rate even when you are resting
Radiculoplexus neuropathy
This form of diabetic neuropathy usually affects the nerves that go through the thighs, buttocks, legs or hips. It is also known as amyotrophy or proximal neuropathy. This is more common in patients who have type 2 diabetes. The diabetic neuropathy symptoms of this kind usually occur only on one side of the body. These might spread to the other side as well in some of the cases. The symptoms can be noticed as follows:
- Sudden shooting pain in the buttock, thigh or the hips.
- Gradual weakness
- Difficulty in getting up after sitting for a while
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Great amount of weight loss
Mononeuropathy
Mononeuropathy includes a specific kind of nerve damage. It is also known as focal neuropathy. At times, it occurs all of a sudden and is most common in adults.
Although this can cause a lot of pain, however, it is usually short-termed and does not cause you any pain for the long haul. The diabetic neuropathy symptoms caused by the same are usually disappearing within a few weeks. These signs and symptoms also depend on what kind of nerve damage you have had:
- Double vision or pain behind one eye
- Difficulty in focusing on objects
- Pain in the foot or the shin
- Pain in the thigh, mainly at the front
- Pain in the abdomen or the chest
- Being paralyzed in half of the face
Sometimes this might also occur in case you have a nerve that has been compressed without you knowing it. The most common type of nerve compression is the carpal tunnel syndrome. This is found in people with diabetes.
The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or this kind of diabetic neuropathy symptoms include:
- Tingling or numbness in the fingers or the hand. These occur mostly in the index finger or the ring finger.
- A sense of weakness in the hand
One needs to seek medical care in case they notice the following:
- Cuts or sores in the foot or both feet at times. Especially if they are not healing.
- A burning or tingling sensation in the hands or the feet
- Constant dizziness
- Unusual changes in digestion or sexual function
These diabetic neuropathy symptoms do not always indicate towards nerve damage, but they might signal towards another kind of problems you might be having. These might require immediate medical attention. Even if you have minor sores or blisters on your foot that are not healing, it can turn into ulcers. These if untreated, can turn into dangerous diseases or conditions in which the tissues start to deteriorate.
Early treatment and prevention of such problems can prove to be very healthy and beneficial for your wellbeing. Keeping your blood sugar levels in control can help you prevent or delay such problems. If you cannot figure out a solution, try to consult with your doctor for taking further measures or treatments that need to be done.
