Have A Sweet Tooth?

Do you enjoy the sweet things in life? Are you one of those individuals who like a little pie with your whipped cream, or a little bit of cake with your frosting, if so, then I would like to talk to you.

If you are prediabetic or especially if you are already diabetic, I would definitely like to talk to you because you are at risk for developing neuropathy.

Between sixty and seventy percent of all diabetic patients develop peripheral neuropathies. To be fair not all neuropathies are associated with diabetes. Thirty to forty percent of chemotherapy recipients and thirty percent of those with HIV will develop neuropathy and some peripheral neuropathies have no known source.

What is peripheral neuropathy? High blood sugar (glucose) levels can cause damage to nerves, especially peripheral nerves in the feet and hands. These nerves send messages from the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the periphery. When there is damage to these nerves normal communication between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system cannot occur. You may initially experience tingling or prickling sensations in your feet, but this can progress to numbness, burning, and pain can follow as well as weakness.

Treatment is aimed at the underlying condition and symptomatic relief of symptoms. We are very sorry to be the ones to inform you of the dangers of that giant dollop of whipped cream on your pie but if you are already showing signs of peripheral neuropathy talk to your ASAP provider and we may be able to help you taste the sweet victory over pain.