Doctors say that nerve pain, which is generally ignored, could be the early symptoms of diabetes.
Don’t try to ignore and push through that agonising pain every time. Doctors say that nerve pain, which is generally ignored, could be the early symptoms of diabetes.
Statistics have it that around 50% of diabetics have some form of nerve damage known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). DPN can be treated and managed well, if detected at the right time, said city doctors, as they tried to generate awareness about DPN as part of the ongoing Diabetes Awareness Week.
About 50-60% of Type-2 diabetic patients suffer from DPN. And about 5-10% of patients, even before the diagnosis of diabetes, approached the doctors with early symptoms of DPN like numbness, tingling or burning sensation in the feet, said Dr Mohan Badgandi, consultant, diabetes and endocrinology.
“When blood sugar levels are high, small nerves carrying sensation from the feet get affected. Sometimes, patients even get sensation like they are walking on pebbles or cotton. However, many tend to ignore these symptoms,” said the doctor.
However, it can cause serious complications, cautioned Dr Badgandi. “If these symptoms are left untreated for four to five years, larger nerves can get affected, leading to loss of sensation in the feet, infection and gangrene,” he added.
What can be done to control DPN? “Very good control of diabetes can arrest the progress of DPN. But sometimes, anti-depressants and other medicines are required to alter the nerve function,” said Dr Badgandi.
Generally people 45-55 years of age with diabetes tend to have DPN. “It generally takes around seven to eight years of encounter with diabetes to develop DPN,” said Dr Ashok Singhal, diabetologist, Apollo Hospital.
However, people who take alcohol beyond recommended levels can also develop DPN, as alcohol can lead to painful neuropathy, he added. “Pure vegetarians lack Vitamin B12 in their diet. Thus, diabetic population, who are vegetarians, tend to develop DPN more often,” said Dr Singhal.
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