

We are not sure exactly why this is, but could be to do with cooler temperatures in the evening, stress at the end of a long day and fewer distractions in the evening meaning you notice the pain more. Sometimes these sensations can be worse at night. This can lead to feelings of numbness, tingling, burning, discomfort or shooting pains. When the nerves are damaged these messages cannot be sent properly which leads to a change in sensation or feeling. The nerves carry chemical messages to and from the brain about what we can feel. Diabetic neuropathy pain Why is diabetic neuropathy so painful?

Keeping your blood sugar levels within your target range and also your blood fat levels (cholesterol) and blood pressure can also help to improve the symptoms of neuropathy and reduce the progression of the nerve damage.

This may include medication for nausea and vomiting, painkillers for sensory neuropathy or treatment to help with erectile dysfunction. There are many treatments available to relieve the symptoms caused by neuropathy. Once the nerves have been damaged they cannot repair themselves.īut careful diabetes management including keeping your blood sugars as close to target as possible, and managing blood fat levels and blood pressure can prevent the damage from happening or prevent further damage if you already have some of the symptoms. No, diabetic neuropathy can't be reversed (but the symptoms can be treated). As a result, the nerve fibres can become damaged, and they may disappear. This can cause problems in many different parts of your body, depending on the type of nerve affected. This stops essential nutrients reaching the nerves. Over time, high blood glucose (sugar) levels can damage the small blood vessels that supply the nerves in your body. Neuropathy is one of the long-term complications of diabetes. The type of treatment you need will depend on the type of neuropathy.ĭiabetic motor neuropathy Causes of diabetic neuropathy Your healthcare team should tell you which areas are affected and give advice on what to do about any symptoms you are having. People with the condition could have just one or any combination of the types. There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy - see below. They also carry signals to parts of the body such as the heart, making it beat at different speeds, and the lungs, so we can breathe.ĭamage to the nerves can therefore cause serious problems in various parts of the body for people with type 1, type 2 or other types of diabetes. Nerves carry messages between the brain and every part of our bodies so that we can see, hear, feel and move. It can affect different types of nerves in your body, including in your feet, organs and muscles. Diabetic neuropathy is when diabetes causes damage to your nerves.
