Diabetes accounts for about 70,000 lower-limb amputations in the United States each year. People tend to think of diabetes as a silent, painless condition. Millions of diabetic patients may have tingling toes or painful feet. This problem is called diabetic neuropathy which can range from merely aggravating to disabling or even life threatening. High blood sugar, the hallmark of diabetes, injures nerves and blood vessels throughout the body. The first nerves to be affected tend to be the smallest ones furthest from the spinal cord—the feet. Diabetic neuropathy can cause a constant burning feeling in the feet; sharp pain that may be worse at night. When sensory nerves in the feet become damaged, a blister, cut, or sore can go unnoticed, allowing time for the wound to become infected.
While there is no cure for diabetic neuropathy, there are ways to cope with it:
1) Stay active- exercise improves blood flow to the feet.
2) Slim down- this improves blood sugar and takes extra weight off the feet.
3) Prescription creams can be compounded to relieve the pain and increase blood flow to the area.
Do you have diabetic neuropathy? How do you deal with it? We want to hear from you.
Cheryl-Pharmacist
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