Don't ignore numbness and tingling. Get checked immediately at Hermina Pasteur. These could be symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

Nerve damage that occurs in diabetes sufferers is called diabetic neuropathy (DM neuropathy). This condition is a complication of diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes long-term damage to nerves throughout the body. Nearly 50% of diabetes sufferers are affected by this condition. If left untreated, diabetic neuropathy can cause various health problems that can disrupt the sufferer's daily life.

Causes of DM Neuropathy

In diabetes sufferers, the body's nerves can be damaged due to reduced blood flow and high blood sugar (glucose) levels. This condition is more likely to occur if blood sugar levels are not well controlled over time. About half of people with diabetes experience peripheral nervous system damage. Symptoms often do not appear until years after diabetes is diagnosed. Some people who have slowly progressing diabetes already have nerve damage when first diagnosed.

Types of Diabetic Neuropathy Based on the type of nerve affected, DM neuropathy can be divided into 3, namely:

1. Sensory nerves: Play a role in receiving sensations, such as pain, temperature, touch, vibration, and so on.
2. Motor Nerves: responsible for sending signals from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles, triggering the contraction and relaxation of those muscles necessary to perform a movement.
3. Autonomic Nerves: Play a role in controlling unconscious (involuntary) body activities, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and bladder.

Meanwhile, based on the distribution of the location of the affected peripheral nerves, diabetic neuropathy can be divided into:

1. Bilateral symmetrical (known as polyneuropathy): a type of neuropathy that usually attacks both sides of the body uniformly.
2. Mononeuropathy: damage to one nerve that can cause loss of movement, sensation, or other functions of that nerve.
3. Mononeuropathy multiplex: a nervous system disorder involving damage to two or more separate peripheral nerves.

Image 1. Distribution Pattern of Diabetic Neuropathy a. (A) Symmetric distal peripheral neuropathy; b. (B) proximal neuropathy; c. (C) trunk and cranial neuropathies; d. (D) mononeuropathy multiplex

Symptoms of DM Neuropathy Cause Long-Term Complications in Diabetes Sufferers

Symptoms often develop slowly over years. The type of symptoms you experience depends on the nerves affected. When sensory nerves are affected, symptoms often begin in the toes and soles of the feet and include tingling, burning, or deep pain. As time goes by, the damage may get worse; you may lose feeling or sensation in your toes, soles, and legs, and your skin may become numb. Because of this, you may:

• Not realizing when you step on something sharp
• Don't know if you have a blister or small wound.
• Not realizing when your feet or hands touch something that is too hot or cold
• Have very dry and cracked feet.

If it concerns the autonomic nerves, the symptoms that can arise can include:

• Dizziness or fainting when standing (orthostatic hypotension)
• Digestive disorders such as constipation, which sometimes alternate with diarrhea
• Difficulty emptying the bladder (urinary retention) or involuntary urination (urinary incontinence)
• Gastroparesis, namely feeling full prematurely or vomiting because the stomach empties slowly
• Hypoglycemia causes unconsciousness, which causes shaking, sweating, and increased heart rate.
• Sexual dysfunction in men and women.
• Hypoglycemia causes unconsciousness, which causes shaking, sweating, and increased heart rate.
• Problems with sweat gland production can include sweating too much (hyperhidrosis) even in cold temperatures, at rest, or at other unusual times, or reduced sweat gland production (anhidrosis).

If it affects motor nerves, symptoms that can arise include:

• One-sided muscle weakness (asymmetric) Spasms, twitches, and muscle cramps Decreased muscle mass (muscle atrophy).
• Difficulty walking.
• Difficulty moving arms or legs.
• Muscles in the extremities appear limp and fall (foot drop/wrist drop).

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy usually involves a physical examination, medical history, and diagnostic tests such as electromyography (EMG) or nerve conduction tests. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy focuses on managing symptoms and slowing disease progression through:

1. Blood Sugar Control

Tightly controlling blood sugar levels is the most important step to prevent or slow the progression of neuropathy.

2. Medicines

To treat the disease, there are various types of medication given to treat pain, muscle cramps, and other symptoms that may arise in the form of pain relievers such as analgesics, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants that can be used to reduce neuropathic pain, and doctors can also prescribe medication. to treat specific symptoms such as erectile dysfunction or digestive disorders.

3. Lifestyle Changes

A healthy and balanced diet, regular exercise, stopping smoking, avoiding alcohol consumption, and maintaining an ideal body weight can help reduce symptoms and the risk of further complications.

4. Foot Care

It's important for people with diabetes to take good care of their feet to prevent ulcers or infections, which can develop into serious complications.

DM sufferers are advised to wear clean and dry socks and wear soft shoe inserts with the right size shoes. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus that can affect the sufferer's quality of life. However, with proper diabetes management and early treatment, the impact of diabetic neuropathy can be minimized, allowing sufferers to live a healthier, better quality life.

Healthy with Hermina Pasteur