What Are The Warning Signs Of Diabetic Neuropathy?
Some diabetes patients can develop a type of nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. This damage is a serious but common complication associated with diabetes. There are four kinds of diabetic neuropathy, and an affected individual can have more than one type. Peripheral neuropathy is a variation that mainly affects the extremities of the body or the feet and hands. Autonomic neuropathy is a variation that affects the autonomic nervous system or the bladder, stomach, heart, intestines, eyes, and sex organs. Radiculoplexus neuropathy is a variation of diabetic neuropathy that affects nerves in the buttocks, legs, hips, or thighs. Mononeuropathy is a variation characterized by damage to a particular nerve in the middle of the body, leg, or face. Poor diabetes management and persistent high blood sugar levels are the biggest risk factors for diabetic neuropathy.
There are numerous signs indicative of diabetic neuropathy. Get to know them now.
Muscle Weakness

Muscle weakness is characterized by the inability to produce a normal muscle movement or contraction with the individual's full effort. Voluntary muscle movements are produced when an individual's brain transmits a signal through their spinal cord, and then out through the nerve roots into branching nerves responsible for the stimulation of the muscles. If the connections between the brain, spinal cord, nerve roots, branching nerves, or muscles are disrupted or impaired, the muscles will not receive the signal that tells them how and when to contract or relax. Muscle weakness is commonly seen as a symptom in the peripheral and radiculoplexus variations of diabetic neuropathy. When muscle weakness occurs due to damage to the nerves, there is a significant reduction in the use of the affected muscle or muscles. When muscles go for long periods without regular use, they begin to lose their size, function, and density. Muscle weakness can cause an individual to have difficulty with walking, standing up, general coordination, balance, and a number of other basic bodily movements.
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Urinary Incontinence Or Retention

Urinary incontinence or retention are symptoms of diabetic neuropathy some patients present with. When an individual is unable to hold urine in their bladder properly, it is called urinary incontinence. When an individual is unable to empty their bladder properly, it is called urinary retention. The actions of the bladder are controlled by the individual's autonomic nervous system that acts unconsciously to regulate numerous bodily functions. Patients with autonomic neuropathy can experience urinary incontinence if there is a disruption in the nerve signals that tell the internal and external urethral sphincters when to contract and relax. Incontinence can also occur if there is a disturbance in the signals being sent to and from the bladder muscle itself, causing it to contract and leak out urine inappropriately. The patient may experience urinary retention when the signals from the brain do not reach the bladder or urinary sphincters at all, or when the signals do not stimulate a bladder muscle contraction at the correct timing in relation to sphincter relaxation. This signal obstruction can cause the patient to be unable to empty the bladder fully or urinary retention.
Discover more warning signs of diabetic neuropathy now.