NEUROPATHY
Diabetes can lead to nerve damage called neuropathy. Although it can hurt, it can also affect the ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. This loss of feeling puts diabetics at a higher risk for sustaining injuries (particularly on the feet) and contracting infections in injuries that go unnoticed!
Common signs of neuropathy:
– Tingling (“pins and needles”)
– Pain/sensitivity, and numbness in the affected areas
Source: NeuropathDr.com
It can also damage nerves that affect the functions of the bladder, intestinal tract, gentials, and other organs!
Neuropathy occurs when excess blood glucose breaks down the walls of blood vessels that feed into nerves. Prolonged elevated blood sugar levels can cause chemical changes in nerves as well when the impaired blood vessels are unable to carry oxygen and necessary nutrients to the nerves. This damage can stop nerves from sending messages to the brain about pain, temperature, and touch, as well affect the messages that tell muscles to move.
*NEUROPATHY CAN LEAD TO AMPUTATION!*
Diabetics often suffer from poor circulation, which makes affected limbs less able to fight off infections and heal. If ulcers and infections are able to progress because of poor blood flow combined with loss of sensation,, a person may have to undergo an amputation. Thankfully, many amputations are preventable with regular care and proper foot care.
- Source: esterofootsolutionsblog.com
EXTRA TIP: One of the biggest threats to a diabetic with neuropathy is smoking, which can cause decreased blood flow (to particularly the feet), and many of the necessary amputations are due to this addition of smoking.
GASTROPARESIS
Neuropathy (nerve damag ecaused by prolonged elevated blood glucose levels) of the vagus nerve can cause delayed gastric emptying, in which the stomach takes too long to digest food. The vagus nerve controls the movement of food and ensure that stomach and intestinal muscles work properly; if the vagus nerve is damaged, the digestive process is slowed or stopped entirely.
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Vomiting of undigested food
- Early feeling of fullness
- Weight loss
- Abdominal bloating
- Lack of appetite
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Spasms of the stomach wall
COMPLICATIONS: Bacterial overgrowth is a complication of gastroparesis; this occurs when food that had stayed in the stomach too long begins to ferment. If food also stays in the stomach too long, it can harden into bezoars (into solid masses); this can lead to nausea, vomiting, and even obstructions in the stomach. The possibility of blocking passage of food into the small intestine make the presence of bezoars a very serious and dangerous condition.
In Regards to Diabetes…
Since there is delayed absorption of food in the small intestine at unpredictable times, blood glucose levels spike erratically at unpredictable times.
It is important to take steps to better manage blood glucose:
– Take insulin more frequently and whenever needed
– Take insulin after meals rather than prior
– Check blood sugar levels after eating
Treatment
- Insulin
- Oral medications
- Changes in diet- 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones
– Liquid meals (which can pass through stomach more easily)
– Avoid fats (which naturally slows digestion)
– Avoid fiber (which can be difficult/impossible to digest, and lead to bezoars) - Feeding tubes / intravenous feeding (in severe cases)
