Did you know diabetic neuropathy affects as many as 50 percent of diabetes patients in their lifetime (1) (2)? It is a huge number when you consider the total number of diabetics, which is a massive 37.3 million people in the US alone (3). The silent killer is now the ninth leading cause of death worldwide, killing more than 1.6 million people a year (4). And unfortunately, diabetic neuropathy is just one of the many complications this disease can cause.
But you may ask, “what is the relationship between high blood sugar level and peripheral neuropathy?” Like any other part of your body, your nerves also have smaller blood vessels supplying them with oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients. However, in diabetes, these vessels get occluded due to scarring–causing ischemia of the nerves. As a result, the ability of nerves to send signals to the brain is compromised. It first affects the feet and legs and then hands and arms.
When you get diabetic neuropathy, you experience numbness, tingling, and reduced ability to feel pain and temperature change. Some people also experience cramps, sharp pain, and extreme sensitivity to touch. When this happens, your brain becomes careless about that part of the body whose nerves have been compromised. And as a consequence, you get minute traumas and infections that do not heal as blood vessels are blocked–causing massive leg and feet problems.
Unfortunately, more than 140,000 Americans lose their legs due to diabetic foot disease (5) (6). But the good news is the number of amputations has been consistently decreasing over the years thanks to diabetes management and better foot care (7). Today, we reveal some of the most effective tips to prevent diabetic neuropathy.
Keep Blood Pressure Under Control
High blood pressure also damages vessels the same way high blood glucose level does. The underlying mechanism, i.e., scarring and narrowing of blood vessels, is the same in both conditions. Thus keeping blood pressure under control becomes very crucial when you have diabetes.
The superimposed effect of hypertension on diabetes can speed up the process of nerve damage. Plenty of research suggests that hypertension contributes to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (8) (9). A 2019 study published in the American Journal Of Hypertension showed that hypertension significantly contributed to nerve conduction abnormalities in patients with diabetic neuropathy. The study consisted of 70 patients with diabetic neuropathy and hypertension and 78 patients with hypertension but non-diabetic neuropathy. Researchers observed no such effects in patients with non-diabetic neuropathy (10).
To add more, drugs that lower blood pressure have been shown to improve neuropathy in diabetes patients (11). Like diabetes, high blood pressure also manifests the iceberg phenomenon. Nearly half of the US population has high blood pressure (12), but, unfortunately, only the tip, i.e., very few, know about their condition. So have your blood pressure checked and if raised, bring it down to normal.
Take Care Of Your Feet
Since diabetic neuropathy starts in the foot and legs, it becomes essential you take care of your feet. Make daily foot care a mandatory part of your routine. American Diabetes Association has several recommendations for foot care (12). To prevent diabetic neuropathy;
- Keep your feet clean by washing them every day with tap water and mild soap but do not soak them as water osmosis may carry germs and cause infection.
- Inspect your feet for cracks, fissures, dry skin, and infections, especially between toes and around toenails. But be gentle and use a mirror or ask a friend if you can’t see your whole feet accurately.
- Trim your toenails carefully to prevent trauma. Improper trimming may also cause the sharp edges of your nails to grow into your skin and cause infection.
- Use lotion if your foot skin is dry. It moisturizes your feet without getting contaminated water into your skin. But do not lotion between your toes to prevent fungal infection.
- Wear diabetic shoes with moisture-wicking socks as they not only provide comfort but protect your feet. New shoes are a common source of ulceration (13). So be careful when you wear new shoes.
- Exercise regularly to improve blood flow. But, again, be gentle and take care of your feet when exercising so that you don’t get a trauma.
- Have a thorough annual examination of your feet by your physician or podiatrist to minimize complications. If you begin to feel numbness or tingling, inform your doctor as soon as possible.
Adopt A Healthy Diet
As it goes with any health problem, taking care of your diet is also essential. Adopt a diet that does not raise your blood sugar level or blood pressure. Avoid alcohol as it not only raises blood sugar but is itself a prime cause of peripheral neuropathy (14) (15) (16). Also, quit smoking as it is a serious contributor to diabetic neuropathy and an independent risk factor for neuropathy (17) (18). Smoking aggravates diabetic neuropathy by increasing oxidative stress (19). So adopt a diet that improves sugar levels, reduces blood pressure, and is anti-inflammatory all at the same time.
Final Words!
Diabetes is like a curse, that once you get it, you have to live with it for the rest of your life. And there come several periods when you lose focus. It is when the complications kick in. Controlling your blood sugar is a no-brainer, but maintaining a focused approach to contain diabetes is what uses your mental power. But you must believe in yourself and maintain a high spirit to defeat it and keep going.