Overview
Diabetes-related neuropathy happens when you experience nerve damage due to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) that lasts a long time. It can affect people with long-term diabetes, like Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. But not everyone with diabetes develops it.
Neuropathy can develop from other causes, too, like pinched nerves, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies and injuries affecting your nerves. Healthcare providers diagnose neuropathy as diabetes-related if you have diabetes and they can’t find another cause for it.
Types of diabetes-related neuropathy
Diabetes-related neuropathy can damage different nerves throughout your body. Types of diabetes-related neuropathy include:
- Peripheral neuropathy: This is the most common type of neuropathy. “Peripheral” refers to any of the nerves outside of your spinal cord. It often affects your feet and legs and sometimes your hands.
- Autonomic neuropathy: This type of neuropathy happens when you have damage to autonomic nerves, which control your involuntary body processes. They control things like your bladder, intestinal tract, blood pressure, heart and sex organs. Another name for autonomic neuropathy is dysautonomia.
- Proximal neuropathy: This is a rare type of neuropathy that affects nerves in your hip, thigh or buttock. It typically only affects one side of your body.
How common is diabetes-related neuropathy?
Overall, diabetes-related neuropathy is fairly common. Studies show that up to 50% of people with diabetes have peripheral neuropathy. More than 30% of people with diabetes have autonomic neuropathy.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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