SENSORY NEUROPATHY AND DIABETES
posted: Jul. 14, 2018.
What is Sensory Neuropathy?
Sensory neuropathy occurs if the body's sensory nerves become damaged.
People with diabetes have an increased risk of neuropathy as high blood glucose levels over long periods of time can damage the nerves.
Symptoms of Sensory Neuropathy
The symptoms of sensory neuropathy will be present at the part of your body where the nerves are affected:
- Numbness
- Reduced ability to sense pain or extreme temperatures
- Tingling feeling
- Unexplained burning sensations
- Sharp stabbing pains – which may be noticeable at night
People with sensory neuropathy will typically have difficulty sensing causes of pain and heat which can result in unnoticed injury being sustained.
Partly because the feet are less easy to see than the hands, the feet are particularly vulnerable to damage going unnoticed in people with neuropathy and developing into a serious health risk.
Cuts, blisters and burns can develop into foot ulcers which raise the risk of needing amputation for people with diabetes and neuropathy.
