The Nerve Disease Known As Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes is a very serious condition that can result in a variety of other very serious conditions. One of the many severe results that one can suffer from having diabetes is diabetic neuropathy. This generally is the result of uncontrolled diabetes causing damage to the nerves. Sadly, more than half of those who have been diagnosed with diabetes have some sort of nerve problems.

Many diabetics have not educated themselves about diabetes and what the signs are of such complications of diabetes as diabetic neuropathy. Often they end up suffering nervous system damage before they even realize anything is wrong. This commonly occurs in both women and men who are over 40, smoke, or do not take their blood glucose levels seriously.

The longer you've had diabetes, the more likely you are to develop diabetic neuropathy. If you've already gotten to the point where your diabetes has caused serious nerve damage, you will likely suffer from side effects such as frequent or persistent foot infections, ulcerations of the feet, and possibly amputations. But even if you've had diabetes for a long time, these complications are preventable if you adopt a proper diabetic lifestyle.

How Diabetic Neuropathy Takes Place

We don't yet know exactly why it is that high levels of blood glucose can cause nerve damage. What we know about the damage we can observe taking place is that the part of the nerve called an "axon" degenerates when the blood glucose levels are high. The axon is the part of the nerve that connects it to other nerves and muscles in the body.

The nerve damage can be metabolic or vascular. If the damage caused by this process is metabolic, your body will produce toxic chemicals that are packed with glucose. If the damage caused by this process is vascular, blood may no longer be able to reach the nerve.

How Long It Takes for Nerve Damage to Take Place

Those who have blood glucose levels that remain out of control for as long as ten years can pretty much expect the onset of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, if they haven't appeared already. This is true whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Simply keeping your blood glucose levels under control can prevent the development of diabetic neuropathy.

Find out more interesting Facts About Diabetes Mellitis as well as the latest diabetic research findings and treatment options.

Check out our new Diabetic Recipes section.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.