The tingling and aching in their feet are early indicators of peripheral neuropathy, a typical diabetic consequence. For many people, these foot problems are the first clear sign that they have diabetes or are on their way to getting it. When caught early, foot pain and high blood sugar are occasionally fixed.
Pain, tingling, numbness, weakness in your feet or hands, or any other signs that you might have a form of neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves that run from our brains and spinal cords to other parts of our bodies, should never be ignored.
Some of our nerves carry the messages that tell us, for instance, that our hands are close to a hot stove or that our shoes are too tight. Others tell our muscles to contract or control things like digestion and blood pressure. Neuropathy is a disease that influences the nerves in the body’s edges and can cause burning, stiffness, and pain in different body parts.
Depending on the type of neuropathy you hold, you could have any of the following symptoms:
- Your feet or hands hurt or feel tingly. The pain may burn, freeze, or shoot and usually worsens at night.
- Feeling like you’re wearing socks or gloves that you can’t see.
- Your legs and feet feel weak or shaky.
- Touching them hurts a lot.
- Balance and rhythm go out of whack.
- Muscles that cramp or twitch.
- Abnormalities in the heartbeat or blood pressure.
Numbness And Tingling Feelings.
One more common sign of neuropathy is a feeling of tingly or numbness in the fingers, toes, arms, or legs that doesn’t go away. These feelings can be mild and come and go, or they can be strong and happen all the time. Patients often say this makes them feel like their arms have “fallen asleep” or are tingling. If you have these signs, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Muscular Weakness.
Muscle weakness and a clear loss of strength can be caused by neuropathy. Patients might discover it is hard to do everyday things that used to be easy. Weakness can affect any group of muscles, even those that help you hold things, walk, or keep your balance. If you notice a rapid or gradual decline in muscle strength, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Sharp Or Burning Pain.
Some people may feel numbness, while others may feel a sharp or burning pain in the places affected. This pain can come and go or always be there, and it may worsen at night. The pain could feel like being stabbed, shot, or given an electric shock. If you have pain that doesn’t go away or keeps coming back, you shouldn’t ignore it.
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Loss Of Balance And Coordination.
Neuropathy can mess up the messages sent by the nerves that tell muscles how to move, making it hard to stay balanced and move in sync. Patients may have trouble keeping their balance while walking or fall out of the blue. People with neuropathy tend to fall quite often. If your balance or coordination worsens, you should see a doctor immediately.
Easily Affected By Touch Or Temperature.
Another important sign of neuropathy is a heightened sensitivity to touch or changes in temperature. Patients may feel more pain or discomfort from cold or heat because they are more sensitive to these feelings. Even a small touch or a little pressure can make a bigger difference. If you are too sensitive to changes in touch or warmth, taking care of this sign is important.
Digestive Issues
Neuropathy may additionally impact the nerves that control nutrition, which can cause problems with the stomach and intestines. Patients may feel sick, throw up, have diarrhea, or have trouble using the bathroom. These stomach problems can be ongoing or come and go. If you have problems with your digestive system that don’t seem to have a clear cause, you should see a doctor.
Changes In The Heart Rate Or Blood Pressure.
Autonomic neuropathy is a kind of neuropathy that influences the nerves that control things like blood pressure and heart rate that you don’t have to think about. So, people with sympathetic neuropathy may feel dizzy, faint, have a fast heart rate, or have changes in their blood pressure.
If the heart rate or blood pressure changes for no apparent reason, you should immediately see a doctor. About one-quarter of the time, the reason is not found. But many people in this category have the same risk factors as people with type 2 diabetes, such as being overweight, having high cholesterol, and having high blood pressure.
Can Neuropathy Be Healed?
There are ways to help people with neuropathy. But most of the time, they try to get to the root reasons and signs. Once neuropathy has set in, it’s hard to get rid of, but the damage can often be slowed. People with diabetes are treated by controlling their blood sugar and changing their food and exercise to improve their metabolic health.
Anyone with neuropathy in their toes should see a doctor and set up a plan to care for their feet to avoid getting hurt or getting an infection. Some people need painkillers, but not all painkillers work for all people. When one treatment plan doesn’t work, it’s important to keep trying and not give up. Care for your mental health and physical treatment can also be helpful.
Avoiding Neuropathy
You can cut your chances of getting many common types of neuropathy. The Mayo Clinic says you should:
- Eating many fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Getting sufficient vitamins B-12. Some people, such as vegans and vegetarians, may need vitamins or foods that are supplemented.
- Regularly working out for 30 minutes to an hour at least thrice weekly.
- Avoiding drugs is bad for you, smoking, drinking too much, doing the same things repeatedly, and being in tight spaces that pressure your nerves.
The Centers for Prevention and Control of Disease also says that all people over 50 should get a shot to protect them from shingles. Neuropathy is a disease that, if not handled, can greatly affect an individual’s way of life. As people who work in health care, we were hoping you could pay close attention to the danger signs in this piece.