Diabetic polyneuropathy | Type 2 | Risk factors | Symptoms | Condition | Loss of sensitivity | Painful form | Autonomic | Gastroparesis | Erectile dysfunction | Lipoic acid | Foot syndrome | Diabetic neuropathy
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1. Diabetic polyneuropathy
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Diabetic polyneuropathy is a chronic complication of diabetes in which nerve fibers are damaged. In people with type 1 diabetes, diabetic polyneuropathy usually develops only after several years of poor glucose control.
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2. People with type 2 diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes mellitus may have signs of diabetic polyneuropathy already at the stage of identifying the disease, since by the time of diagnosis, the glucose level may be elevated for a long time.
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3. Risk factors for diabetic polyneuropathy
Risk factors for diabetic polyneuropathy are poor blood glucose control, age, and duration of diabetes. Additional risk factors: the presence of high blood pressure, microalbuminuria (protein in the urine), dyslipidemia (an increase in cholesterol and its “bad” fractions in the blood), hypoinsulinemia, as well as smoking and ethnicity (there are scientific works that have calculated that the prevalence of diabetic polyneuropathy is higher among Europeans than among the Asian race).
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4. Diabetic polyneuropathy is divided
Diabetic polyneuropathy is divided into peripheral (nerve fibers of the upper and lower extremities are damaged) and autonomic (nerves that transmit nerve impulses to internal organs are damaged).
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5. Symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy
Symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy can be very diverse. Most often, the first symptoms of polyneuropathy are numbness, tingling, burning sensation in the feet. Sometimes patients describe the manifestations of neuropathy as a sensation of walking on sand or small balls.
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6. Condition of their feet
A podiatrist is a doctor who deals with the feet. Anyone with diabetes can go to the Diabetic Foot office to assess the condition of their feet. Most often, such a doctor can be found at a diabetic center.
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7. Loss of sensitivity
One of the most dangerous manifestations of diabetic polyneuropathy is loss of sensitivity. At the appointment, the endocrinologist with special instruments evaluates the sensitivity of the limbs in a person with diabetes. Loss of sensitivity is a huge risk of foot ulcers.
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8. The painful form of diabetic polyneuropathy
The painful form of diabetic polyneuropathy is an extremely unpleasant condition. It can be stitching, burning, shooting and extremely exhausting. A condition such as allodynia can also occur when pain arises from a non-painful stimulus (for example, touching a sheet causes severe pain). To treat this condition, in addition to satisfactory control of diabetes, drugs from the groups of antidepressants and anticonvulsants are used.
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9. Diabetic autonomic polyneuropathy
Diabetic autonomic polyneuropathy is a condition in which nerves that transmit nerve impulses to all internal organs are damaged. Various heart rhythm disturbances, orthostatic hypotension (a sharp drop in blood pressure when moving from a horizontal position to a vertical position), damage to the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system can occur.
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10. Diabetic gastroparesis
Diabetic gastroparesis is a condition in which gastric emptying slows down, this is one of the frequent manifestations of autonomic polyneuropathy. Patients complain of a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating, nausea, belching. There may also be a tendency to constipation, or vice versa, to diarrhea.
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11. Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction – may be the first manifestation of autonomic polyneuropathy in men. To solve this problem, not only the endocrinologist, but also the urologist is necessary. The first step is to achieve your target glucose values.
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12. Lipoic acid preparations
Lipoic acid preparations and B vitamins are often prescribed for people with diabetic polyneuropathy. However, it must be remembered that without maintaining satisfactory control of glucose levels, the effect of these drugs is minimal.
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13. Diabetic foot syndrome
Diabetic foot syndrome is damage to the foot, as a result of diabetic polyneuropathy and changes in blood supply, which poses a direct threat or the development of ulcers.
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14. Immediately consult a doctor
If long-term non-healing wounds appear on the feet, you should immediately consult a doctor. Other warning signs are severe redness, pain, fever in the wound area.
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15. Diabetic neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy (Charcot’s osteoarthropathy) is a very formidable complication of diabetes, which is based on the progressive destruction of one or more joints of the foot. A foot affected by Charcot osteoarthropathy is characterized by a local increase in temperature and redness. The basis of the treatment is rest and unloading of the affected foot using special Total Contact Cast dressings.
