Diabetics must pay attention and put preventative measures into place. These include intensive maintenance of blood glucose levels, regular visits to a diabetic clinic or specialist and plenty of exercise. Walking is a great way to help reduce the risk of neuropathy in the feet and legs.
Weakness
The loss of nerve function in the limbs makes everyday tasks difficult because of diminished dexterity and the sense of feeling and touch. Walking will transform from an automatic reflex to a difficult task associated with unsteadiness. Diabetic neuropathy may cause extreme weakness in the feet and legs. Nerve loss can cause specific conditions such as “drop foot,” which is the inability to raise the foot at the ankle. When this happens, diabetics experience extreme difficulty walking and can lead to wheelchair confinement.
Contributing Risk Factors
There are a number of contributing factors that increase the risk of diabetic neuropathy.
Poor maintenance of blood glucose levels.
The duration of diabetes.
Age; risk factors increase with age.
Smoking.
Abnormal lipid metabolisms; this is caused by low levels of high density lipo-protein.
Micro-vascular complications; people who suffer from other complications due to small blood vessel damage.
Proper Diagnosis
There are disorders and diseases other than diabetes that can cause neuropathy. Doctors should do testing to eliminate other causes before giving a diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy and beginning treatment.
Diabetic Assessment
Diabetics who attend diabetic clinics on a regular basis have blood glucose levels taken and recorded. The goal for all diabetics is to maintain a blood glucose level that is as close to normal as possible. In the United States, glucose levels should be no higher than 100 before eating and should never go above 150. In Canada blood glucose levels should run between 4.0 and 6.5. These blood glucose levels are identical. The difference appears because health care professionals in the two countries measure blood glucose levels in different ways.