You probably have peripheral neuropathy if you have diabetes and suffer from pain or loss of sensation in your feet. Diabetics are often affected by this form of nerve damage. As you may be aware, this disease raises the risk of foot ulcers and perhaps amputation. If you have neuropathy, you should pay special attention to your extremities.

What Causes Your Feet To Lose Sensation?

Peripheral neuropathy is a frequent complication of diabetes. Excessive blood sugar levels seem to have a negative impact on nerves.   However, neuropathy is not caused by a single disease; it can be caused by several health conditions and events. For instance, you might get this condition after undergoing chemotherapy. Neuropathy may also be caused by alcoholism, autoimmune diseases, and a variety of other issues.

When you have this condition, your tiny blood vessels cease providing oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to your nerves. They start to falter, and that’s when the sensations start to fade.

Signs and Symptoms of Neuropathy

One indicator of neuropathy is the lack of sensation in your feet. Other symptoms, however, may appear sooner. Early detection of warning symptoms may help to avoid progression.

Instead of losing sensation in your feet, you may experience discomfort. These include burning or tingling sensations in your feet and toes. And it is frequently persistent, especially when you attempt to sleep.

Neuropathy might also cause you to fall. In fact, losing sensation in your feet increases your chances of falling threefold, as does your chance for having ulcers and amputations.  That is why we must carefully manage your situation.

Managing Peripheral Neuropathy

How is diabetic neuropathy treated? Unfortunately, there is no simple solution. If your neuropathy is caused by microvascular disease, we may need to restore circulation. If that’s the case, there is a need to collaborate with circulation specialists to ensure you receive the best treatment possible.

Why You Should Manage Neuropathy

You may be asking why this is such a huge issue. Consider your response if you accidentally touch a hot burner. Your instinct is to rapidly withdraw your hand; your brain detects pain before you can feel it. What if you didn’t have any pain? You’d suffer a severe burn. Now consider your feet.

Every day, we tuck them inside our shoes. What if your shoes were too small? The normal individual would remove them and investigate the source of their discomfort. You’d keep going if you weren’t in agony. What if a stone got stuck in your shoe? The discomfort would force you to remove your shoe and throw the stone away. If you were going barefoot and stepped on a shard of glass, what would you do? You get the picture… People with diabetes are less aware of small injuries and are more likely to develop sores, blisters, and ulcers. These ulcers are very susceptible to infection. And if that occurs, the disease might expand to the bone, causing serious issues.

Diabetes problems account for more than 60% of non-traumatic amputations in the United States. This is why all diabetics should be acquainted with a podiatrist. I always advise my diabetic patients to inspect their feet on a regular basis. You may do it just before bedtime. But what is the most crucial aspect of this strategy? If you see something that wasn’t there the night before, please contact your doctor. It’s better to contact them for a false alarm than overlook a little problem that grows into a major one.

How to Stop Neuropathy from Getting Worse

Light to moderate exercise may help to slow or stop the development of neuropathy.  But keep in mind that peripheral neuropathy causes a loss of feeling. So, you have to be very careful when you work out, since you might not notice a foot injury like a bruise or blister. And, as we just discussed, even minor injuries may be fatal for a diabetic. So, how can you keep your diabetic feet healthy while exercising?

Everyday Foot Care is Necessary

Check your feet daily for signs of blisters, cuts or calluses. Tight shoes and socks may exacerbate pain and tingling and may lead to sores that poorly heal. When you exercise, make sure that your sports shoes fit well. You should also wear special athletic socks. They keep your feet dry and avoid friction, helping in the prevention of blisters.

Exercise with Caution

Lifting weights is not recommended if you have an ulcer or a foot injury. In fact, if you have severe neuropathy, you should generally avoid doing any kind of weight-bearing activity at all times.

What other options do you have? Stick to walking. Also, before you begin any weight-bearing workout program, talk to your Houston podiatrist about it.

Keep an Eye Out for Balance Issues

Loss of balance is another symptom of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, neuropathy patients suffer from uncoordinated and wobbly motion. As a result, you’re more likely to fall while exercise. Before beginning any workout, be sure you are secure, stable, and comfortable.

Do you have diabetes and wish to take preventative measures to protect your feet? Make a consultation with Dr. Ejodamen Shobowale of DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center! We can tailor a health plan to your specific requirements.