Medically reviewed and verified by Kate Burke, MD, MHA
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can be caused by having diabetes. High blood sugar or glucose levels can cause nerve damage throughout the body, specifically in the legs and feet. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms include pain and numbness in the legs, feet, and hands. It can also cause problems with the digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart. Some people have mild symptoms. But for others, diabetic neuropathy can be quite painful and disabling.”
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Types of Diabetic Neuropathy
There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy that include:
- Peripheral neuropathy: Also known as distal symmetric peripheral neuropathy, this type of neuropathy is the most common for those with diabetes. It impacts the feet and legs first, followed by the arms and hands. It can result in numbness, sharp pains or cramping, muscle weakness, extreme sensitivity to touch and ulcers.
- Autonomic neuropathy: This type of neuropathy impacts the autonomic nervous system which includes your heart rate, bladder, digestive system, and sex organs. This type of neuropathy can result in difficulty swallowing, bladder or bowel problems, gastroparesis, vaginal dryness, or erectile dysfunction.
- Proximal neuropathy (diabetic polyradiculopathy): This impacts nerves around the thigh and buttock area. It can result in severe pain around these areas, weakening and shrinking thigh muscles, chest, or abdominal pain.
- Mononeuropathy (focal neuropathy): Also known as focal neuropathy, this condition refers to damage to a specific singular nerve, usually in the face, torso, or limbs. This type of neuropathy can result in double vision, paralysis of the face, numbness, and tingling.
Although the cause of diabetic neuropathy is not clear, doctors have inferred that “over time, uncontrolled high blood sugar damages nerves and interferes with their ability to send signals, leading to diabetic neuropathy. High blood sugar also weakens the walls of the small blood vessels (capillaries) that supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients.”
Risk Factors
Anyone who has diabetes is at risk for developing neuropathy but there are factors that increase these chances which include:
- Blood sugar management: Without proper management of your blood sugar, you are at risk of developing nerve damage.
- Length of diabetes. The risk of diabetic neuropathy increases the longer a person has diabetes, especially if blood sugar is not well controlled.
- Body weight. Being considered obese or morbidly obese may increase the risk of diabetic neuropathy.
- Smoking. Smoking makes it more difficult for wounds to heal and damages the peripheral nerves by shrinking and hardening the arteries.
Keeping your blood glucose levels within your target range is critical to the prevention of diabetic neuropathy. Meal planning, physical activity and medications can all help keep you within your target range. This and regularly checking and tracking your blood glucose levels.
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