Living a life with diabetes is not easy. Apart from the intense diet restrictions, regular medications, and fairly limited lifestyle, another fear that constantly creeps up is the unavoidable complication of diabetic neuropathy.
The deteriorating health condition among individuals with diabetic neuropathy can make them feel scared for their life. However, with the correct steps taken proactively, it is completely possible to prevent diabetic neuropathy from its root.
Let’s walk through the basics of what is diabetic neuropathy, how you can prevent the seemingly inevitable situation of diabetic neuropathy, and the steps to treat diabetic neuropathy effectively.
What is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Diabetic neuropathy is a serious nerve damage condition that may happen to individuals with prolonged diabetes. In this condition, the blood sugar levels remain consistently high that impairs the nerve’s ability to transmit signals over time. The first few signs of diabetic neuropathy include a slight tingling in your hands or feet and escalates into sharp, stabbing pains, numbness, or burning sensations that may wake you up at night.
It is a frustrating health concern known to affect 50% of the people who already have diabetes. The key to preventing diabetic neuropathy is carefully managing your blood sugar levels, following the corrective dietary measures, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Prevention of Diabetic Neuropathy
You don’t need to wait for diabetic neuropathy to show up before you start taking steps for preventing diabetic neuropathy. Here’s what you can do to proactively prevent diabetic neuropathy.
1. Control Blood Sugar Levels
Consistently rising blood sugar levels can gradually destroy your nerves. People with Type-1 and Type 2 diabetes must track their blood sugar levels and ensure it remains under the prescribed targets set by the medical health professional.
2. Reduce Smoking and Limit Alcohol Intake
Excessive smoking can impair active blood circulation and limit the quantity of nutrients that reach your nerves. Regular alcohol consumption is toxic for your nerve tissues, thus worsening the diabetic neuropathy symptoms. So, if you already have diabetes and drink or smoke regularly, it is advisable to limit these activities to protect your nerve further from damage, thus taking steps to prevent diabetic neuropathy.
3. Take Good Care of your Feet
Diabetic neuropathy often starts from the feet. People with diabetes may not feel any injury or irritation in their feet during cuts, blisters or signs of infection. To quickly detect any signs of diabetic neuropathy and prevent its formation, go for a thorough foot check up at least once a year or more often if you consistently face foot problems. Keeping your feet dry and wearing comfortable footwear helps to ensure your feet remain healthy.
4. Focus on Nutrition-Filled Meals
Include food with high nutritious value such as whole grains, lentils, vegetables and lean protein like eggs and chicken. Medical professionals recommend staying away from sugar-filled snack options, processed food, chips,soda, etc.
5. Take Prescribed Medications Regularly
Based on the type of diabetes you have, your doctor may prescribe a few medications and insulin therapies. For instance, drugs like Pregabalin, Amitriptyline, etc., can be highly helpful in controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetic neuropathy.
Best Treatments for Diabetic Neuropathy
For individuals already dealing with diabetic neuropathy, following the right approach in treating diabetic neuropathy can make a significant difference in how they feel. It is always better to consult your family doctor or a reliable health professional who can guide you with the facts and corrective measures to reduce the impact of diabetic neuropathy.
The best treatments for diabetic neuropathy include:
- Proper FDA-Approved Medications:
Taking medication such as Gabapentin(Neurontin), Pregabalin(Lyrica), and Duloxentine(Cymbalta) is often the first choice to treat diabetic neuropathy. Except for Gabapentin, the other two drugs are FDA-approved and highly preferred to reduce the impact of the prevalent diabetic condition.
- Consider Topical Medications:
Topical medications refer to the popular drugs that can be applied directly to the skin while treating diabetic neuropathy. Creams like capsaicin or lidocaine are FDA-approved drugs that are widely known to treat diabetic nerve pain in your feet.
- Go for Physical Therapy:
Specific exercise routines and workout plans tailored to your physical condition may help you regain your balance, strength, and flexibility. Regular exercise prevents instant rise in blood sugar levels, and helps to keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control.
- Make Permanent Lifestyle Changes:
Considering permanent lifestyle changes can have long term benefits in treating diabetic neuropathic conditions. The changes include adopting healthier eating habits, better stress management, regular exercise and monitoring blood sugar levels.
When Should You See a Doctor?
You should consider a medical healthcare provider if you experience the following symptoms. Based on your diagnosis, your healthcare professional will guide you for screening tests
- A blister, cut or sore on your foot that has not healed since a long time.
- Experiencing consistent weakness, burning sensations in your hands, pain in your feet that makes sleeping difficult.
- Major changes in digestion
- Frequent dizziness and fainting
Although no medication can completely reverse the nerve damage resulting from diabetes neuropathy, it can definitely improve the associated nerve pain, fade away the burning sensations, and help you live a normal, stress-free life. Finding the right treatment for diabetic neuropathy can often be a trial and error process. However, with the help of a health professional, the treatment journey becomes fairly easier. While it is true that FDA-approved drugs like Pregabalin, and Duloxentine are go-to choices for treating this form of diabetes, it is necessary to keep your healthcare provider posted with the feedback about what diabetic neuropathy treatment is working for you.