Don’t let diabetes get on your nerves

Your nerves are constantly at work behind the scenes, helping you grip a cup of coffee, notice a warm breeze or balance as you take a step. But did you know for millions of people with diabetes, those signals can get distorted, leaving parts of the body without the guidance it needs?

How can diabetes affect nerves?

When blood sugar remains high over time, it can damage nerves throughout the body, a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. According to Mayo Clinic, this nerve damage often begins in the arms or legs, leading to symptoms like numbness, tingling, burning sensation or sharp pain. It can be so subtle at first that many people don’t notice until damage has progressed. 

What kind of nerve damage is caused by diabetes?

Diabetes-related nerve damage isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are four major types of neuropathy, and each affects different nerves and causes different kinds of symptoms.

• Peripheral neuropathy is the most common form of nerve damage for people living with diabetes and usually begins in the feet and sometimes the hands. Early signs include tingling or a feeling of “pins and needles,” especially at night, pain or a heightened sensitivity, numbness or weakness.
• Autonomic neuropathy affects nerves that control involuntary bodily functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, bladder control, sexual function and pupil response to light.
• Proximal neuropathy targets large nerves in the legs. It causes sudden, severe pain and muscle weakness.
• Focal neuropathy involves damage to a single nerve or group of nerves. It produces abrupt, localized symptoms, such as pain, weakness or paralysis in specific areas (face, torso or legs).
   

Anyone living with diabetes can experience nerve damage, but certain factors make it more likely:

• Poorly managed blood sugar over time
• Carrying excess weight
• Being over the age of 40
• Living with diabetes for many years
• Having high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol

The danger of diabetic neuropathy is not just discomfort but the interference with simple, everyday defenses like feeling temperature or pain. Without those warning signs, small injuries or ulcers, especially on the feet, can go unnoticed and escalate into serious complications. 

How can you protect your nerves?

While diabetic neuropathy can’t always be reversed, the good news is it can often be slowed, managed and even prevented with the right care. Keeping your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol in a healthy range is the single most important step. Additionally, follow these steps to give your nerves their best chance at staying healthy:

• Check your feet
• Stay active
• Eat balanced meals
• Stop smoking

NKC Health’s certified diabetes care and education specialists can give you more resources to help you manage diabetes. They’re more than educators — they’re partners who help you understand your numbers, build realistic routines and find strategies that fit your life. 

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or used to managing diabetes for years, our team can teach practical steps that reduce your risk of complications like neuropathy.

When you know how to care for your diabetes, you protect not just your nerves, but your whole future. Visit nkchealth/Diabetes to learn more today.

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Melissa Zalonis

Melissa Zalonis is a registered nurse and certified diabetes care and education specialist. She is the program coordinator for the Living With Diabetes program and has worked at North Kansas City Hospital since 1994. She has specialized in diabetes nursing since 2008. She belongs to the hospital’s Speakers Bureau and is a member of the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.