Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by high blood sugar levels over time. The longer blood sugar remains high and unmanaged, the more the nerves can be irreversibly damaged. As a result, you may experience a range of symptoms affecting your body’s overall sensations, typically in your feet and hands.

Symptoms of Neuropathy

Neuropathy usually causes foot pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness. Left untreated, it can eventually lead to complete loss of feeling, making it difficult for you to feel pain in your feet. If that happens, you may not know when your foot is injured and problems such as blisters, cuts, calluses, or corns can be ignored. In turn, that could lead to a foot infection or hard-to-control ulcers.

Neuropathy Treatment and Prevention

The best way to prevent diabetic neuropathy is to work with your doctor to improve your blood sugar levels. If you can keep your blood sugar within an acceptable range, you can limit or prevent any nerve damage and the risks that come with it. Preventing diabetic neuropathy is crucial because there is no cure or way to reverse it.

If you have already been diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy, there are ways to manage it and prevent further foot complications. For one thing, your doctor can provide medication to help relieve foot pain resulting from your condition. Also, you should check your feet daily for any wounds that could become infected and work with a foot doctor to manage your wounds.

Schedule an appointment for Neuropathy Treatment

At Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care, our podiatrists are specially trained to diagnose diabetic neuropathy and develop a plan to help improve your foot care, including providing custom orthotics to ease your discomfort. To consult with one of our specialists, call the location nearest to you for an appointment or use our convenient online form.