Excessive glucose input causes excessive electron transport to generate oxidants in mitochondria, reducing mitochondrial action potential (MMP). Some patients find some relief from this nerve damage or Neuropathy Treatment near Watauga TX by keeping blood sugar levels as strictly as possible, exercising regularly, and keeping their weight under control. Consistent use of non-narcotic pain relievers throughout the day, instead of waiting until nighttime, when symptoms may worsen, also seems to help if the primary symptom is pain. Surprisingly, doctors have also found that certain antidepressants can be useful and alleviate pain caused by Neuropathy Treatment near Watauga TX.
If you are diagnosed with neuropathy, your doctor may use terms to describe your type based on whether only one side of your body (asymmetric) or on both sides (symmetric) is affected. If only one type of nerve is affected, your doctor may say that you have mononeuropathy. If several nerves are affected, the term polyneuropathy may be used. Peripheral neuropathy (more commonly called neuropathy) is a general term for diseases that cause damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
While diabetes is a common cause of neuropathy, it's not the only cause. Nutritional deficiencies (vitamin B-12 and folate), exposure to chemicals, pressure on nerves, or medications (such as some of those used for chemotherapy or to treat AIDS) can also cause neuropathy. Theories abound as to exactly why neuropathy occurs in people with diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy is generally thought to result from chronic nerve damage caused by a high level of blood glucose.
Another theory is that certain intracellular metabolites, such as myo-inositol, are depleted and cause nerve damage. Other theories hold that pathways such as protein kinase C, which are being studied by Dr. George King, research director and head of the Vascular Cell Biology Section, and his colleagues at Joslin, are triggered by a chronic increase in blood glucose, causing several complications of diabetes, including neuropathy. Your doctor can detect early signs of neuropathy.
You may notice that tests for knee and ankle spasmodic reflexes show that the nerves don't respond as usual, or you may notice a drop in blood pressure when you move from a reclining position to a seated. These are signs that paying more attention to blood glucose is warranted to try to limit future problems. If you already have nerve damage, there are steps you can take to slow the rate of progression or treat symptoms. Maintaining good glucose control, as well as healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, has been shown to prevent the progression of neuropathy.
If you have numbness, you should be careful when examining your feet for any unusual scratches or wounds. Doing a daily self-exam of your feet will help you avoid further complications. Permanently high blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to nerves. Without enough oxygen and nutrients, nerve cells can die and affect nerve function. It's probably because high blood sugar levels damage the tiny blood vessels that supply nerves. Peripheral neuropathy is more likely the longer you have had diabetes.
Diabetes can damage nerves and cause a complication called neuropathy. It usually starts with a loss of feeling in the toes and possibly the fingers. Over time, neuropathy can move up the person's legs or arms. 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. Autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that control the heart, regulate blood pressure and control blood glucose levels.
If blood sugar is better controlled, symptoms of diabetes-related neuropathy, such as numbness and other abnormal sensations, may disappear within a year. No significant change in PKC activity was found in homogenized complete peripheral nerve tissues of rats with STZ diabetes, although the specific PKC‐beta inhibitor improved NCV delay and nerve blood flow.12 There are several ongoing studies designed to improve blood flow to nerves in diabetic animals and in diabetic patients. The arachidonic acid pathway is activated to increase cyclooxygenase (COX) -2 concentrations in the peripheral nerves of diabetic rats with STZ, where the inhibition of COX-2 corrects nervous blood flow and the delay of NCV135. A thorough evaluation that includes a review of blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose tests combined with more advanced tests helps the doctor rule out other causes and identify the main problem. Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes and usually occurs in association with chronically high blood glucose levels.
Everyone is different, so it's almost impossible to predict how high blood sugar levels should be and for how long they can cause neuropathy. Blood glucose monitoring, meal planning, physical activity, and medications for diabetes or insulin will help control blood glucose levels. Your healthcare provider and other diabetes specialists, such as a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), will work with you to achieve realistic blood sugar goals. Managing diabetes well and keeping cholesterol and blood pressure within ideal limits can also help improve symptoms of neuropathy and prevent nerve damage from worsening.
Tighter blood sugar control, along with other chronic problems such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and nutritional deficiencies, can improve symptoms and prevent neuropathy from worsening.
