How to Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetics

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIn time, people with diabetes can develop nerve damage or neuropathy. Around 60 percent of diabetics can have some form of neuropathy. Some people may have nerve damage with no symptoms while others experience nerve problems. This can be felt as pain, tingling, or numbness of the hands and feet.

The risk of having some degree of neuropathy increases with the duration of the diabetes. Peopel with uncontrolled blood sugar levels also have increased risk of having neuropathy. Other factors are high blood pressure and obesity or being overweight.

Diabetic neuropathies can be due to a number of causes. The most common are elevated blood glucose, high blood fat levels, and long duration of diabetes. Another reason is inflammation of the nerves caused by autoimmune factors. Heredity also plays a role in increased susceptibility to nerve disease. Smoking and alcohol use are also contributing factors to developing neuropathy.

The symptoms usually start as numbness, tingling, or pain in the feet. Later on, the numbness or pain can be felt in the toes, legs, arms, hands, and fingers. Other signs and symptoms of neuropathy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, and weakness.

There are also different types of diabetic neuropathy but the most frequent type is peripheral neuropathy. The feet and legs are commonly affected first, followed by the hands and arms. It is a long term complication of diabetes and the damage to the nerves continues over a long time.

For diabetics, controlling the blood glucose levels and having regular exercise can help prevent neuropathy. Consume foods that are lower in calories and higher in complex carbohydrates such as those found in vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

Nerve damage is also very common in people with vitamin B12 deficiency. This vitamin is vital for proper functioning of the nervous system and in the production of red blood cells. Also, a lack of vitamin B1 or thiamine is linked to vascular system damage, which includes the nerves in the hands and feet. Thiamine is essential for a lot of metabolic functions of the body.

In addition to good diet, proper exercise a neuropathy supplement containing B1 and B12 can help diabetics and non diabetics to avoid tingling, numbness, and burning pains to the feet and hands.