Diabetic patients must beware the complication known as diabetic neuropathy. This condition arises due to the elevated blood glucose levels that attends severe diabetes. The glucose damages the nerves, a condition known as neuropathy in medical parlance.
In the war against diabetic neuropathy, information is the only way to vanquish it. What is diabetic neuropathy, what are its symptoms and how it can be controlled, those are the questions we're going to answer here.
The autonomic nervous system is at the very core of our existence. It controls the vital life functions like heartbeat and respiration. The autonomic nervous system fails, the patient dies, that's it. The peripheral nervous system controls the sensory and motor functions. This helps us to become aware of our environment and to control muscular activity. The peripheral nervous system fails, the patient becomes a vegetable. Diabetic neuropathy is categorized as autonomic and peripheral diabetic neuropathy, depending on which particular nervous system it affects. The third category, focal diabetic neuropathy, affects individual nerves, not a system.
The predominant symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are given here for your information.
Temperature fluctuations, ranging from shivering to profuse sweating, and, sometimes, very rarely, even a simultaneous occurrence of both.
The patient faces uncontrollable urges to urinate suddenly. The same effect may apply to bowel movement but to a lesser extent.
The patient suffers from episodes of belching or flatulence or vomiting.
Sex-related problems, reducing the patient's sexual functionality.
Disorders of the circulatory system, like poor circulation, heart fluttering, and heart seizures.
The damage to the nervous system impairs the patient's sensory capacity. This is a dangerous development, as the patient is unaware of harmful situations which can cause physical injury. For example, if the patient loses sensation in his feet, he may step on a hot object and not feel the heat, and thus sustain burn injuries to his foot.
Symptomatic relief of diabetic neuropathy is possible in a number of ways. Symptomatic relief does not imply relief of the underlying condition causing the symptom. The condition will remain, but its attendant side-effects can be relieved.
The main mode of treatment lies in vigilant monitoring of blood glucose to make sure it remains within the prescribed norms. This controls and reduces the underlying cause of diabetic neuropathy. Drug therapy is an important method of treating diabetic neuropathy. Medications include pain relievers when the damaged nerves generate erratic pain signals, blood thinners to help restore the blood chemistry to its normal state, and creams and lubricants to restore sexual functionality. Diabetic neuropathy is a severe disorder and can be fatal if left untreated, or if it is mistreated. Therefore, a patient of diabetic neuropathy must always follow the doctor's orders, and avoid self-prescription. The risk of fatality should be uppermost in the patient's mind, and this should prompt him to do everything under proper medical supervision.
In the war against diabetic neuropathy, information is the only way to vanquish it. What is diabetic neuropathy, what are its symptoms and how it can be controlled, those are the questions we're going to answer here.
The autonomic nervous system is at the very core of our existence. It controls the vital life functions like heartbeat and respiration. The autonomic nervous system fails, the patient dies, that's it. The peripheral nervous system controls the sensory and motor functions. This helps us to become aware of our environment and to control muscular activity. The peripheral nervous system fails, the patient becomes a vegetable. Diabetic neuropathy is categorized as autonomic and peripheral diabetic neuropathy, depending on which particular nervous system it affects. The third category, focal diabetic neuropathy, affects individual nerves, not a system.
The predominant symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are given here for your information.
Temperature fluctuations, ranging from shivering to profuse sweating, and, sometimes, very rarely, even a simultaneous occurrence of both.
The patient faces uncontrollable urges to urinate suddenly. The same effect may apply to bowel movement but to a lesser extent.
The patient suffers from episodes of belching or flatulence or vomiting.
Sex-related problems, reducing the patient's sexual functionality.
Disorders of the circulatory system, like poor circulation, heart fluttering, and heart seizures.
The damage to the nervous system impairs the patient's sensory capacity. This is a dangerous development, as the patient is unaware of harmful situations which can cause physical injury. For example, if the patient loses sensation in his feet, he may step on a hot object and not feel the heat, and thus sustain burn injuries to his foot.
Symptomatic relief of diabetic neuropathy is possible in a number of ways. Symptomatic relief does not imply relief of the underlying condition causing the symptom. The condition will remain, but its attendant side-effects can be relieved.
The main mode of treatment lies in vigilant monitoring of blood glucose to make sure it remains within the prescribed norms. This controls and reduces the underlying cause of diabetic neuropathy. Drug therapy is an important method of treating diabetic neuropathy. Medications include pain relievers when the damaged nerves generate erratic pain signals, blood thinners to help restore the blood chemistry to its normal state, and creams and lubricants to restore sexual functionality. Diabetic neuropathy is a severe disorder and can be fatal if left untreated, or if it is mistreated. Therefore, a patient of diabetic neuropathy must always follow the doctor's orders, and avoid self-prescription. The risk of fatality should be uppermost in the patient's mind, and this should prompt him to do everything under proper medical supervision.
About the Author:
One of your most crucial weapons in living with diabetes is an inventory of diabetic testing supplies. Learn more about these and other methods of controlling your diabetes by visiting www.Diabetes-Diabetic-Diet-Plans.com. Find out how a good diabetic diet plan can assist you in keeping the disease under control.
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