type one diabetes

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Diabetic Neuropathy – Pain and diabetes – Signs and treatments


 

Sugar and blood glucose

Sugar and blood glucose

Outside the diabetes community the issue of diabetic neuropathy is one that seems to not be given the awareness it needs. It is potentially one of the most serious complications of diabetes.

It is vital that diabetics deal with diabetic neuropathy. According to the US governments ‘The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ (NIDDK) diabetic neuropathy is responsible for 86,000 lower limb amputations each year.

We have looked at Neuropathic pain more generally in a previous blog which you can check out here https://patienttalk.org/?p=281. In this blog we are going to look more closely at diabetic neuropathy which affects people with both Type One Diabetes and Type Two Diabetes.


As the name suggests diabetic neuropathy is associated with diabetes. Because it affects the nerves symptoms may appear in any part of the body. Simply put diabetic neuropathy is a family of nerve disorders cause by diabetes. They sign and symptoms can include:-

• Erectile dysfunction in men
• Loss of bladder control
• Burning pain in the limbs
• Pins and needles
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Speech impediments
• Muscle contractions.

How is diabetic neuropathy treated?

Well firstly prevention is always better than a cure. So diabetics are recommended to keep their blood glucose levels as normal as possible. This helps to prevent nerve damage.

But if treatments are needed you can expect to meet some of the following:-

• Pain medications such as anti-depressants and analgesics
• Tens machines and other physical therapy
• Foot care is most important because they are of course part of the body’s extremities. Foot care and ulcer treatment information can be found here http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_feet/index.aspx.

One of the aims of this diabetes blog is to give our readers the opportunity to share your experiences of diabetic neuropathy with others. Please share anything you think may be of interest in the comments boxes below. This might include any links you think will be having value. That being said you may want to focus on the following question?

1. How long have you been a diabetic and what sort of diabetes do you have?
2. Do you suffer from diabetic neuropathy? What were you symptoms?
3. What impact did it have on your lifestyle?
4. What treatments did you receive for diabetic neuropathy and how successful were those treatments?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

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Warning signs of Type 2 diabetes – what you should be looking out for?


In 2010 Diabetes UK produces a concerning report looking at the statistics about diabetes (bothdiabetes Type One and Type Two diabetes) in the UK and globally.  We would strongly suggest that anyone who is involved in any way with the diabetic community downloads a copy which can be found here http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/Diabetes_in_the_UK_2010.pdf.

The report entitled “Diabetes in the UK” includes a number of key facts:-

  • The global communities of diabetics amountsto 285 million patients and is expected to affect  438million people by 2030
  • Affected people tend of be the more developed countries.  But the countries with the highest prevalence are in the Middle East.
  • In the UK 2.6 million have already received a diagnosis of diabetes and this is expected to grow to over four million in the next 12 years.
  • But Diabetes UK estimates that over 500,000 have diabetes and have not been diagnosed.
  • Even more worryingly the age of people getting diagnosed with diabetes is getting lower.  It may well be that 5% of all diabetics are under the age of 20

We felt it would be a useful service to highlight a number of the early signs and symptoms of diabetes and in particular Type 2 diabetes to help raise awareness of the condition!

 

There are a number of signs common to both Type One and Type Two diabetes.  These include:-

  • Often going to the toilet at night
  • Feeling thirsty much of the time
  • Fatigue.  Get more information here https://patienttalk.org/?p=239
  • Losing weight

 


If you have these symptoms please go and visit your doctor as soon as possible.

If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes we would very much like to hear you story.  In particular we would love to hear the answers to the following questions:-

  1. How old were you when you were diagnosed with diabetes?
  2. Does anyone else in your family have diabetes?
  3. What were your first symptoms of diabetes?
  4. How do you treat your diabetes?  How effective are the treatments?
  5. What one piece of advice would you give to somebody who has just been diagnosed with diabetes?

Please use the comments boxes below to tell your story or answer the above questions.  Feel free to add links to any resources you think may be of interest

Thanks in advance