A Brief Note On Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy ( Dnp )

Explain, that diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. Your feet and legs are often affected first, followed by your hands and arms.

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

They include: heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums and teeth. In regards to the heart and blood vessels, there are approximately 65% of death that is caused by diabetes due to major complication of heart disease and stroke. In the peripheral artery diseases diabetes also plays a major role in the cause of poor blood flow in the legs and feet. Many studies show that controlling diabetes can prevent or stop the progression of heart and blood vessel disease. Blood vessel damage or nerve damage may also lead to foot problems that can lead to amputations. More than 60% of leg and foot amputations not related to an injury are due to diabetes. Another complication of diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. There has been a number of eye problems that if not addressed can lead to eye blindness which include: glaucoma,cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Ninety percent of diabetic-related blindness as study shown could be prevented if there would be regular eye exams and timely treatment of diabetes-related eye problems. Furthermore, kidney failure is also one leading cause of further complication that resulted from uncontrolled diabetes in the U.S. It is said that drugs that help lower blood pressure can help the chance to developing kidney failure by 33%. Also diabetes on nerves can lead to loss of sensation or pain and burning of the feet because nerves are harmed due to over time high blood sugar levels. It can also

Those who are diabetic may also be in risk of blindness (diabetic retinopathy) and nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). Diabetic neuropathy can lead to numbness in hands and feet, foot ulcers, and eventual limb amputation (World Health Organization). Taking preventive steps can help to avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Most patients who have diabetes for an extended amount of time may end up with diabetic neuropathy, which is damage caused to the nerves; it affects the peripheral nerves, autonomic nerves, and focal nerves. From the high blood sugar, it can destroy parts of the patient’s blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. If diabetes is not treated, it will almost always cause heart disease or kidney disease.

Why are nerves often damaged in patients with diabetes mellitus, and what are some of the

The disease may cause similar changes in the blood vessels of the kidneys. This condition, called diabetic nephropathy, may lead to kidney failure. The nerves may also be affected by diabetes. This complication, known as diabetic neuropathy, can result in loss of feeling or abnormal sensations in different parts of the body.

7. Examine your feet. Diabetes-related nerve damage can mean that you might have minor injuries to your feet that you can’t feel. This can lead to infections and other complications. Check the soles of your feet daily. Put lotion on them at night to keep the skin in good condition. Wear comfortable shoes that fit correctly. Ask your doctor to examine your feet whenever you have an office visit.

People who have cancer, shingles, and diabetes are more susceptible to be Diabetic Neuropathy victims. They often experience the effects of this condition in their legs and feet, so it is very important for people with this condition to take care of their feet. Some of the symptoms are numbness, tingling, pain, and burning. Nerve pain varies in everyone with this condition. Some people may feel like they are walking on hot coals or sleeping with stabbing pains while other people may just not be able to feel their fingertips and it is like they are wearing gloves. People who have more severe cases often have trouble sleeping because they feel excruciating pain from the weight of their bodies on the bed and pain and burning just from the pressure from a blanket. Creams, sprays, and medications can help decrease the symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy, but in the end, it just comes down to living a healthy

Importantly, in any patients with neuropathy and specifically patients with a severe form,it is essential to rule out any other causes apart from diabetes such as ,drug induced neuropathy (e.g. isoniazid) , alcohol abuse, nutritional deficiency like vitamin B12 deficiency(Wile DJ,et al 2010),vasculitis , inherited neuropathies, and renal disease (Freeman R.2009)

Uncontrolled blood sugar levels irritate the skin tissue causing it to break down and exposing the layer underneath (Kim, 2016). The most common sites are on your big toes and balls of your feet, and they can affect your feet down to the bones. According to Steven Kim (2016), diabetic ulcers are commonly caused by poor circulation, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and nerve damage. Poor blood circulation would not allow adequate blood flow to the feet, therefore making it difficult for ulcer to heal. Hyperglycemia can decrease the wound healing process of a diabetic foot ulcer, so blood glucose management is critical for all diabetic patients (Kim, 2016). Nerve damage/ peripheral neuropathy can result in loss of sensation in the feet due to repetitive stress. Damaged nerves can feel tingly and painful at first, but eventually results in loss of sensation which can lead to painless wounds that can cause ulcers (Kim, 2016). Thus, when patients come in with diabetic foot ulcers it is beneficial to know the cause, so the health care team can determine the course of

Neuropathy – this Nerve Damage is caused by Sugar present in high levels which is capable of injuring the walls of the tiny capillaries within the blood vessels that nourish your nerves specifically in your legs. Resulting in feeling such as numbness, burning, tingling staring at the tips of the toes or fingers is usually felt as pain and gradually spreads upward. When this is left untreated

The major symptoms of diabetes peripheral neuropathy is pain in the region of the affected nerve. The symptoms may be minor and negligible at the early stage, however, it can develop into a chronic condition if left untreated. Despite the fact that this serious condition affects the nerves and causes different problems to the body, some people still live with peripheral neuropathy without noticing any signs. As the condition becomes critical, it can contribute to other issues and affect the nervous systems. Some of the common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are highlighted below:

The Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), initially was used to assess diabetic neuropathy, utilizes objective criterion, such as pin prick, with a subjective account of all neuropathic areas including sensory, autonomic and motor (Curcio, 2016). However, it is too time consuming for nurses to use routinely (Curcio, 2016). The Total Neuropathy Score – clinical version (TNSc) was recommended for broader use (Curcio, 2016). This abbreviated version which was developed is more sensitive than other tools including the NCI-CTCAE (Curcio, 2016). In a systematic review by Haryani et al. (2017) similar conclusions were realized. They analyzed nineteen studies and twenty CIPN assessment tools and determined that both the FACT/GOG-Ntx and TNSc were recommended (Haryani et al., 2017). Further, since CIPN is more subjective than objective in nature, utilizing the FACT/GOG—Ntx first, followed by a provider validation using the TNSc is suggested (Haryani et al., 2017).

An estimated 16 million Americans are known to have diabetes and a substantial amount more are at risk for developing this disease. In Americans, approximately 3-6% of the population has diabetes (AADE, 2014). As you age, Type 2 diabetes begins to rise affecting how your body metabolizes glucose. With Type 2 diabetes, glucose continues to build and lead to high blood sugar causing a variety of symptoms contributing to the development of a diabetic foot ulcer. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association,