Diabetic neuropathy: What everyone needs to know about this condition

[caption id="attachment_9853" align="alignleft" width="504"] Main symptoms of diabetes[/caption]

Carol Forsloff  — These days diabetes is so common that when anyone announces they have the disease, that announcement is met with a shrug and a list of stories and names of friends and relatives with the condition. But what most people don't know, and new diabetic patients find as an unwelcome surprise, is the pain from one of the common consequences of the disease is serious enough for people to be alert and the medical community to become more informed. That pain is said to be among the worst kinds of pain in human experience, and that's why everyone needs to know.

Experts tell us that 60 to 70% of diabetics develop nerve pain. Nerve pain can be one of the "most intense pains that people feel." It can become so intense that normal daily activities become difficult.

Statistics on diabetes remind us that if you have either Type 1 or 2 diabetes for a long time the chances are high that you will experience neuropathy. It can be focal, confined to certain areas, peripheral, impacting the arms and legs, or can be system-wide and affect the major areas of the body. It can also cause double vision, sweating, indigestion, weakness and pain in the arms or legs and a host of other symptoms. But it is usually the pain that eventually gets the patient's attention, because it can be severe and devastating, especially for the elderly.

The pain is often treated with anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, steroid and cortisone injections, lidocaine patches, and pain killers.   Other options include electrical stimulation to the pain site and to the spine.

Those who suffer with the pain of nerve damage find they spend a good deal of time trying different compounds of painkillers and additional options, including diet and exercise.

How does one prevent diabetic neuropathy? The truth is for many people nerve damage has often occurred by the time of diagnosis.  Many people have gone undiagnosed for years, with doctors treating symptoms and not looking at a constellation of factors. Yet diabetes needs better education and vigilance from the healthcare community, researchers remind us. Prevention of damage, and sometimes repair of damaged nerves, is said to take place when the individual provides serious control over blood glucose levels, is vigilant about taking care of the feet, and exercises regularly to promote circulation.

The cure for diabetic neuropathy has not been found, although new medications, such as Lyrica, are reported to be effective for many people. The problem for patients, however, are the side effects of sleepiness, forgetfulness, and mood changes.

As the world continues to report the increase in diabetes, the rush for the cure, and the substantial help for nerve pain, may be developed. In the meantime, those without the disease should be reminded that diabetes is not a disease that should be treated in an off-handed way in discussions. That's because the severity of pain is enough to cause people to remind their friends and relatives that the disease can be a terrible source of disability, affecting the enjoyment of life.