A brief guide to diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is the name for nerve damage in people with diabetes caused by high blood sugar and other factors. About 60 to 70 percent of diabetics suffer at least some neuropathy.

The risk of neuropathy rises with age and with the duration of diabetes, with rates highest in people who have had diabetes for 25 years or longer.

• Your risk is higher if you have trouble controlling your blood sugar, have elevated levels of the blood fats called triglycerides, have high blood pressure, or are overweight.
• It occurs most often in their legs and feet. However, the disease can strike almost any part of the body, from the eyes to the bladder.

Some people with diabetic neuropathy have no symptoms. Others may have pain, tingling, or numbness, particularly in their limbs.

• They may also begin to have urinary tract problems, such as infections or incontinence; nausea, vomiting, indigestion, or other problems in the digestive system; or blood vessel and heart troubles.

There are four types of diabetic neuropathy, and it's possible to have one or several.

• Peripheral neuropathy is the most common, damaging nerves in the limbs, primarily the legs and feet.
• Autonomic neuropathy affects the autonomic nervous system that controls the organs, leading to a wide range of difficulties from gastrointestinal and bladder problems to problems with body temperature.
• Proximal neuropathy causes severe pain in the hips, thighs, or buttocks, and severely weakens the thigh muscles.
• Focal neuropathy usually involves only one nerve and usually goes away in weeks or months. It may make it difficult for your eyes to focus, cause paralysis on one side of your face, or pain in your shin or foot.

Don't despair. A number of measures can slow the progression of the disease and manage the pain and complications that neuropathy causes. The earlier you address diabetic neuropathy, the sooner you can slow its spread and banish its pain.

• Your doctor will check out your symptoms and do a physical exam, monitoring your reaction to touch, temperature, and vibration.
• He'll also check your muscle strength and reflexes, as well as your blood pressure and heart rate. He may do nerve conduction studies, measuring how quickly your limbs carry electrical signals, or an electromyography (EMG), which gauges how well your muscles respond to electrical signals.
• Once he's confirmed that you have diabetic neuropathy, he'll review steps you need to take to control your blood sugar. He'll also likely prescribe medication to relieve pain.

Although diabetic neuropathy can be a debilitating condition, there are a number of treatment options to help relieve pain and combat the ailment. Be sure to check with your doctor if you think you suffer from neuropathy -- the sooner you're diagnoses, the sooner you can get help.