Have you heard of diabetic polyneuropathy? One of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus has an impact on the peripheral nervous system (peripheral nerves) and can disrupt the sufferer's quality of life. This can cause the body to experience various nerve damage, most commonly occurring in the feet and hands, accompanied by pain, numbness and muscle weakness, but it can also affect other nerves. To find out more about what diabetic polyneuropathy is, read this article in full.
What is Diabetic Polyneuropathy and What are the Symptoms?
As explained previously, diabetic polyneuropathy is a chronic complication that arises from diabetes mellitus or diabetes. Compared with other complications caused by diabetes mellitus, diabetic polyneuropathy is the most common complaint reported by sufferers. The symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy vary depending on the severity and the nerves affected. Generally, diabetic polyneuropathy is characterized by the following symptoms.
1. Numbness and Tingling
The most common early symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy are numbness and tingling felt in the hands and feet.
2. Excessive pain
Diabetic polyneuropathy sufferers usually feel pain such as tingling, numbness or thickness, burning heat, electric shock, or like being stabbed in the affected area.
3. Experiencing muscle weakness
Weakened muscles can be a sign of diabetic polyneuropathy, especially in the affected area.
4. Loss of Sensation
Sufferers may experience loss of the ability to feel temperature or pain, which can cause wounds or injuries to go unnoticed.
5. Autonomy Issues
Diabetic polyneuropathy can also affect the autonomic nerves that regulate body functions, such as digestion, blood pressure, heart rate, bladder control, and erectile dysfunction.
Causes of Diabetic Polyneuropathy
Diabetic polyneuropathy develops as a result of long-term high blood sugar levels. These high blood glucose levels result in damage to the nerve fibers, which is a key factor in the onset of this condition. Several other factors that cause diabetic polyneuropathy to appear are:
- Hyperglycemia : High blood sugar levels damage the small blood vessels responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the nerves, thereby worsening the condition of the nerves.
- Dyslipidemia : Abnormal blood lipid levels can also worsen nerve damage, intensifying the negative impacts produced by hyperglycemia.
- Inflammation : Chronic inflammation caused by diabetes can damage nerves directly, which in turn leads to complications of diabetic polyneuropathy.
- Genetic Factors : It is possible that certain genes may increase a person's susceptibility to nerve damage from diabetes, although this relationship still requires further research to be fully understood.
How to Treat Diabetic Polyneuropathy?
Proper management can help reduce the symptoms of this disease. Some recommended handling steps include:
1. Control Blood Sugar
Tightly managing blood sugar levels through a healthy diet, regular exercise, and/or medication prescribed by a doctor can help slow nerve damage.
2. Symptomatic Treatment
To treat pain symptoms, you can take drugs such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants and certain pain relievers.
3. Doing Physical Therapy
Doing regular physical exercise can help strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and reduce stiffness that may occur as a result of polyneuropathy.
4. Foot Care
Taking good care of your feet, including checking them regularly, wearing appropriate footwear, and keeping your feet clean, can help prevent sores and infections that may occur due to loss of sensation in the feet.
5. Management of Concomitant Conditions
Treating and managing comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, is also important to reduce the risk of polyneuropathy complications. Another thing that is no less important is to avoid smoking and/or cigarette smoke, because it can cause chronic inflammation.
6. Support from people around you
Psychological support and counseling can help sufferers overcome stress and depression that may arise due to the symptoms they are experiencing.
Diabetic polyneuropathy is a serious condition and can significantly impact the quality of life of individuals with diabetes. Treating this condition appropriately and keeping blood sugar stable is very important in reducing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease. With regular treatment and implementing a healthy lifestyle, diabetes sufferers can manage polyneuropathy more effectively and prevent further complications, and most importantly can maintain the sufferer's quality of life.
Article written by dr. Nezzar Erraldin, Sp.N (Neurologist / Neurology Specialist at EMC Cibitung Hospital).