Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is damage to nerves in the body that occurs due to high blood sugar levels from diabetes. About half of people with diabetes will develop nerve damage. Most of the time symptoms do not begin until 10 to 20 years after diabetes has been diagnosed.

Nerve injuries may affect:
Nerves in the skull (cranial nerves)
Nerves from the spinal column and their branches
Nerves that help your body manage vital organs,
    such as the heart, bladder, stomach, and intestines (called autonomic neuropathy)

Symptoms often develop slowly over several years. Which symptoms you have depend on the nerves that are affected.

People with diabetes may have trouble digesting food. This can make your diabetes harder to control.

Symptoms of digestion problems include:
- Feeling full after eating only a small amount of food Heartburn and bloating
- Nausea, constipation, or diarrhea
- Swallowing problems
- Throwing up food a few hours after a meal

Tingling or burning in the arms and legs may be an early sign of nerve damage. These feelings often start in your toes and feet. You may have deep pain, often in the feet and legs. Nerve damage may cause you to lose feeling in your arms and legs. Because of this you may:
- Not notice when you step on something sharp
- Not know that you have a blister or small cut
- Not notice when you touch something that is too hot or cold

Damage to nerves in your heart and blood vessels may cause you to:
- Feel light-headed when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension)
- Have a fast heart rate
- Not notice angina, the chest pain that warns of heart disease and heart attack

Other symptoms of nerve damage are:
- Sexual problems.
   Men may have problems with erections. Women may have trouble with vaginal dryness or orgasm.
- Not being able to tell when your blood sugar gets too low
- Bladder problems. You may leak urine and may not be able to tell when your bladder is full.
   Some people  are not able to empty their bladder.
- Sweating too much -- when the temperature is cool, when you are at rest, or at other unusual times.

Sources: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, www.endotext.org

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