Do you have diabetes? So sometimes your legs and arms feel a little numb, or like you can't feel anything? Maybe you feel a stinging or burning pain? These are not things you should just ignore. Today we're talking about this nerve weakness, which is one of the most serious and common complications of diabetes.
What is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Simply put, Peripheral Neuropathy is damage to the nerves in our body, especially in the hands and feet. When a person with diabetes has uncontrolled high blood sugar levels for a long time, this excess sugar damages our nerve cells.
Think of our nerves as electrical wires. These wires carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body. When blood sugar levels rise, the insulation around these wires melts. Then the messages don't travel properly. This is what we call Peripheral Neuropathy .
Between 60% and 70% of people with diabetes will develop this condition at some point in their lives. But not all of them will experience pain. But the best part is, it is not something that can be prevented. Studies have shown that if you can control your blood sugar levels well, you can greatly reduce the risk of this nerve damage .
Why is this situation dangerous?
The biggest danger of this is the loss of sensation . When the nerves don't work properly, your hands, especially your feet, lose their ability to feel heat, cold, or pain.
Think about it this way. If you're walking in the yard and a glass shard or a nail gets stuck in your foot, you won't feel it. If your foot gets cut by your new pair of slippers, you won't know it. This is the most dangerous thing. Because when you have diabetes, the blood supply to your feet is also reduced. So even a small wound doesn't heal quickly.
These inadvertent wounds can become infected, fester, and turn into ulcers that cannot be healed. Ultimately, this can lead to amputation or even death.
These symptoms don't show up the same way for everyone. Some people feel like they're being bitten by ants at first, but then it turns into pain. Others lose all feeling in their hands, feet, and fingers, leaving only numbness. These changes happen very slowly over the years. So you may not even notice them at first. Many people dismiss them as 'something that happens as you get older'. But that's a big mistake.
What are the main symptoms?
Peripheral Neuropathy symptoms vary. See if you experience any of these symptoms.
| Characteristic | How you feel |
|---|---|
| Numbness | Numbness. This is the most common and dangerous symptom. |
| Tingling/Pins and needles | A feeling of ants crawling around, starting from the tips of the fingers and toes, and feeling like they are being pricked by needles. |
| Burning sensation | A severe pain that feels like the soles of the feet and legs are on fire, like they are burning. |
| Sharp Pain | Sharp, sudden pains, like being struck by electricity or stabbed by a knife. |
| Touch sensitivity | Feeling unbearable pain even when the bedsheet touches the leg. |
These symptoms may be worse, especially at night . In addition, other effects may occur.
- Muscle weakness: As the messages from the nerves to the muscles are disrupted, the muscles in your legs and arms may become weak. This can make it difficult to get up from a chair, climb stairs, or grip something with your hand.
- Balance problems: You may feel as if you are losing your balance or falling when walking. This is caused by muscle weakness and loss of sensation in your feet.
Be sure to inform your doctor about this.
Because people with Type 2 Diabetes may also have other health problems, sometimes even doctors may not be able to recognize these symptoms of nerve damage at first. So this responsibility also lies with you.
Don't just assume that this numbness and pain you're feeling is just a normal part of getting older. This could be an early sign of a serious condition.
Be sure to tell your doctor about your pain and numbness. There are treatments that can help stop the condition from getting worse and limit the damage. So never ignore these symptoms. They can get worse over time.
Take-Home Message
- Peripheral Neuropathy is a serious nerve damage caused by diabetes. The main cause of this is prolonged high blood sugar levels.
- The main symptoms are numbness in the hands and feet, a feeling of being bitten by ants, burning pain, and loss of sensation.
- This condition can cause injuries to your feet without you realizing it. Therefore, check your feet carefully every day.
- The best way to protect yourself from this is to control your blood sugar levels well according to your doctor's instructions.
- If you have any of these symptoms, don't ignore them and talk to your doctor immediately.
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