Diabetic Neuropathy:
Can the pain be reversed?
Diabetic neuropathy occurs in approximately 20% of diabetes patients. It is at least a partial cause of 50-75% of non-traumatic amputations. The primary risk factor is hyperglycemia or continuously high blood sugar levels. Click here for some of the symptoms for
Diabetic Neuropathy
It is common in people with both type I and II diabetes. If you suffer from either type of diabetes, then checking your blood sugar regularly adopting a healthy lifestyle and following dietary recommendations, as well as improving nutritional intake can reduce your risk of developing this type of nerve damage.
Lifestyle factors :
One of the lifestyle factors that contribute to diabetic neuropathy is smoking.
If you are a non-smoker, that’s good.
If you smoke, you need to quit!
There are many approaches for successfully giving up cigarettes. The most effective is a combination of nicotine replacement and support from family, friends or a therapist.Another factor that contributes to all of the complications is lack of physical activity. With your doctor’s help, develop an
appropriate physical fitness plan.
Research has shown that even a small amount of intense physical activity can improve your overall health. You should have, at some point, been given a regular diet to follow. If not, the basics are reducing dietary fat to no more than 20-25% of caloric intake. Meat selections should be lean poultry or fish; no beef, pork, bacon or other fatty foods. Vegetables and fruits should be your main course, with beans, legumes and whole grains like wild rice rounding out the meal. White bread, white sugar and white potatoes are simple carbohydrates that cause a spike in blood sugar levels. To prevent and treat diabetic neuropathy, tight glucose control is a must. In the early stages, neuropathies can be reversed by successfully reducing blood sugar levels.
Other Risk Factors
High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are other risk factors that can be addressed with dietary changes, increased physical activity, medication and/or nutritional therapy. Herbal extracts are sometimes recommended, although your doctor should be consulted before you try them and blood sugar should be closely monitored, as well. Some of the herbs can cause hypoglycemia, which is dangerous, particularly for people that drive.If not controlled diabetic neuropathy can result in erectile dysfunction,
impotence,
urinary incontinence, lost vision, dizziness, muscle weakness, burning, stinging and stabbing pain. It increases the risk of complications, such as foot ulcers and infections. When neuropathy is present it is caused by ischemia or poor circulation. This can result in heart disease. People with type II diabetes are three times more likely to develop heart disease than those people who have stable blood sugar levels. Mismanagement can lead to
kidney disease
and eventually kidney failure. It is one of the most common causes of kidney failure in the US and the United Kingdom. If you are overweight, you need to cut your caloric intake and/or increase your level of physical activity. Numerous studies have shown that being overweight contributes to all of the common complications of diabetes, including diabetic neuropathy. With the right approach, this is something that you can prevent.
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