When a person is suffering from diabetic nerve pain, relief can be the only thought on their mind. We are seeing epidemic levels of diabetes in the US in particular Type 2 cases are growing at exponential rates. We are now starting to see many cases of teenagers developing this disease that was once only thought to be a problem for older people who had abused their bodies with bad food, alcohol, and no exercise. These levels of diabetes in children are very concerning.
Diabetic nerve pain is a condition that plaques about 60% of the people who contract the disease. The pain is actually caused by diabetic neuropathy which means a disorder caused by diabetes that affects the nerves. The levels of pain from this condition can range from mild irritation all the way up to intolerable. Like the disease of diabetes itself, there is no cure for diabetic nerve pain, the only option is to control the pain with various methods described below.
Diabetic Nerve Pain Diagnoses
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common cause of pain from diabetes. This means the problem lies predominantly in the extremities such as the finger, toes, feet, hands, and arms and legs. The localization of pain in these areas makes sense because the extremities are the first parts of the body that are affected by the poor circulation caused by the disease of diabetes.
If you have pain that you feel is associated with your diabetic condition then you need to contact your doctor or health care provider immediately so he or she can determine the cause. Often times tingling or other non-normal feelings are a precursor to pain so they should be checked out also. When the doctor checks for diabetic neuropathy he or she will of course focus on pain but will also look at other indicators. It is important to asses the health of the skin, circulation system, muscles, and bones along with the actual sensations felt. The feelings in the appendage are tested by touching different items to the area. One method is to lightly rub a monofilament line such as fishing line on the skin to see if it is noticed. The physician may also lightly prick the feet to see if there is if the pain sensation systems are still active.
Losing the ability to feel pain may seem like a relief but in reality it can be very dangerous for someone suffering the effects of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. If the person can no longer feel pain they won’t know when something is injuring the foot. Thus a sore or cut can appear on the foot and the patient won’t even know it is there. It may then go untreated to the point that a major infection sets in. At this point, if the infection can’t be brought under control, the only recourse may be amputation.
If you are suffering from diabetes be sure you have a comprehensive foot exam at least yearly to check for neuropathy in the foot. If you are diagnosed with the problem you will know to take special care of your foot.
Controlling Diabetic Nerve Pain
As with the disease of diabetes itself there is no cure for diabetic peripheral neuropathy there are only control efforts that can be made. The primary control is to keep your diabetes in check and your blood sugar within the prescribed bounds so the damage is not done to your extremities. The diabetic pain from this condition can be very debilitating and you should do everything possible to keep from having to deal with it.
Once the pain is present there are several methods that can be tried for relief. These include such things as antidepressants and anticonvulsants which seem to have positive effects for many people. Opiod type and opiod like drugs are also prescribed but they just mask the pain they do nothing to actually treat it. There is no cure for this debilitation condition, the best a person can hope to do is deal with the diabetic nerve pain is such a way as to live as normal a life as possible.
Tags: Diabetes Pain, diabetic nerve pain, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic peripherial neuropathy, diaptetic pain