What Happens When Neuropathy Gets Worse
If neuropathy is left untreated and it gets worse, the numbness, tingling, and pain will get worse over time. Also, the damaged nerves will continue to send wrong and confusing signals to the brain more frequently. You may start to feel pain when there is nothing causing the pain. You may not also feel pain even when you have an injury or something that should cause pain, due to the wrong signals sent to the brain. You may be at risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that could get infected. If not adequately and timely treated, the foot ulcer could lead to tissue death. In severe cases, the affected foot could be amputated.
How Can You Tell If Your Neuropathy Is Getting Worse
Is pain a reliable yardstick? My balance and speech continue to worsen, but I have no pain, just cramps.
Dr. P. James B. Dyck responds:
Peripheral neuropathy results from damage to nerves, which can result in pain but doesn’t always. In fact, some types of neuropathy are not painful. People also define pain differently. I define pain as anything that is uncomfortable, whereas someone else might consider that same sensation simply “discomfort.” Pain also fluctuates naturally some days it will be worse, other days it will be better, and this doesn’t necessarily mean your neuropathy has improved or gotten worse.
In other words, just because the pain gets better, it doesn’t mean your neuropathy has improved. In fact, sometimes a decrease in pain can mean your neuropathy is getting worse. Here’s an example: It’s not uncommon for people with peripheral neuropathy to have short-circuiting, backfiring neurons and axons that are ill and causing pain. Over time, those fibers may undergo degeneration and die, which means the neuropathy is worse because of the loss of more nerve fibers. This may cause increased numbness, but it usually causes the pain to get better. In this scenario, less pain means greater degeneration.
You Dont Get Enough Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to control blood sugar, improve circulation to the feet, combat obesity and high blood pressurein other words, it powerfully counteracts some of the most significant diabetic neuropathy risk factors.
But theres a bit of a built-in negative feedback loop in regard to exercise and diabetic neuropathy.
In short, the worse your neuropathy symptoms areand the more risk factors you havethe harder it is to exercise safely. For example, if you have no sensation in your feet, muscle weakness, brittle bones, etc., your risk of injuring yourself during activity is much higher.
This creates a vicious cycle where youre too afraid to exercise, which makes your neuropathy worse, which makes it even harder to exercise safely, and so on.
If you have severe neuropathy and want to keep it from getting worse, please stop in, see your doctor and talk about what kinds of exercises would be the safest and most beneficial. Typically, at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity, low-impact exercises are recommended, but do talk with an expert before beginning any new exercise routine.
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What Foods Trigger Neuropathy
Neuropathy from diabetes will worsen with certain foods and drinks that cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Triggers include excessively salty food, too, not just sugary goods. When in doubt, fruit and vegetables will never let you down and can be an excellent way to fill your plate.
If youre suffering from neuropathy due to type 1 or type 2 diabetes, theres a chance you are already relatively mindful of your diet. Below is a list of the top six foods and drinks that you should avoid if you suffer from peripheral neuropathy.
How Can I Ease The Pain Of Neuropathy
There are different ways you can ease the pain of neuropathy. These include:
Exercise Engaging in regular exercises, such as walking can help reduce neuropathy pain and improve muscle strength.
Over-the-counter pain relievers Taking over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help relieve neuropathic pain.
Opioids If over-the-counter pain relievers dont relieve your pain, taking medications containing opioids, such as tramadol or oxycodone can help relieve neuropathic pain. However, these medications are addictive and should be taken for a short time.
Anti-seizure medications Anti-seizure medications such as gabapentin and pregabalin may relieve nerve pain.
Antidepressants Taking tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, doxepin and nortriptyline can help relieve pain.
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So What Can I Do For My Neuropathy
All right.
Now that weve given you a nice anti-roadmap of what not to do if you have diabetic peripheral neuropathy, theres a natural follow-up question: What can I do?
Well, in addition to doing the opposite of all the things we just talked about, you can also book a couple of medical appointmentsone with your general practitioner, and one with the foot care team here at Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma.
We have a lot of experience dealing with diabetic neuropathy, and can offer diagnostic technologies and treatments including:
- Vascular testing. A simple in-office test using an arterial doppler helps us detect early warning signs of poor circulation, which is strongly correlated with diabetes and neuropathy and can make your neuropathy worse.
- Diabetic shoes. These shoes are designed to protect diabetic and neuropathic feet from accidental damage and injury. They feature a little extra depth to accommodate custom orthotics and other features to protect at-risk feet.
- Pain relief treatments. We can offer a range of treatment options and medications in our online shop to help you reduce pain associated with neuropathy.
If necessary, we are happy to refer you to a nerve specialist for follow-up care.
To request an appointment with us, please give us a call at or reach out to us online today!
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Peripheral Neuropathy In Adults
The peripheral nervous system transmits information between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. When the peripheral nerves are damaged or destroyed, a person may have peripheral neuropathy, a condition in which the nerves usual function is disrupted, causing pain, weakness, tingling, or other symptoms.
There are more than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy. NYU Langone neurologists have expertise in diagnosing the condition, as well as any underlying medical problems, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or nutrient imbalances, that can cause symptoms of neuropathy.
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Am I Making My Diabetic Neuropathy Worse
Diabetic neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, is one of the most frustratingand most dangerouscommon complications of diabetes, and we see it a lot at our office.
One of the most common questions we get about it from our patients is very simple, yet often very difficult to answer:
Is this going to get better or worse, doc?
Well start with the good news. For most people, peripheral neuropathy is something they do have the ability to manage by making healthy lifestyle changes and seeking appropriate medical care when necessary. This is especially true if you seek our guidance as early as possible.
The flipside, though, is that if you dont get your neuropathy under control, it will only get worse. The pain will get harder to control, and the damage to your nerves may become impossible to fully reverse.
Sugar And Artificial Sweeteners
People with diabetes can quickly develop diabetic neuropathy due to the consumption of sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
Diabetic neuropathy occurs when nerve damage is due to diabetes. It most often damages the nerves in the hands and the feet.
To avoid diabetic neuropathy and diabetes in the first place, you need to do all you can to cut out sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Itll be in your best interest to replace them with natural sugars found in fruit, but remember, sugar is sugar. You shouldnt over-consume any of it.
Diabetic neuropathy affects roughly half of everyone with diabetes.
You can manage it the same way you manage your diabetes, with proper blood sugar levels and an active, healthy lifestyle.
You need to consume healthy, organic, and all-natural whole foods and maintain some type of daily activity.
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How Do You Know If Neuropathy Is Getting Worse
Having trouble feeling is a strong sign of progress, since you can gauge how well youve made progress. Having a weakened sense of smell or your hair getting curly does not make a big difference to yourneuropathy. Another good sign to keep in mind is numbness. Theres a strong possibility youre experiencing increased numbness or loss of sensitivity in your foot, wrist, or hand.
The Right Diet Can Help Neuropathy Patients Better Manage Symptoms
For patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy, the pain, tingling, and numbness associated with peripheral neuropathy symptoms may be exacerbated by what they eat. Patients and caregivers must be conscientious of foods that may help to alleviate peripheral neuropathy symptoms, as well as the foods that may increase these symptoms. Knowing how the body responds to certain foods may be key to reducing peripheral pain.
Following are some foods that patients should avoid to reduce neuropathy symptoms.
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How To Sleep With Neuropathy
Sleep is an essential part of livingsleep helps us avoid major health problems and it is essential to our mental and physical performance. It affects our mood and stress and anxiety levels. Unfortunately, sleep disturbance or insomnia is often a side effect of neuropathy pain. It is a common complaint among people with living with chronic pain.
Its no surprise that about 70 percent of pain patients, including those suffering from PN, back pain, headaches, arthritis and fibromyalgia, report they have trouble sleeping according to the Journal of Pain Medicine.
Pain can interfere with sleep due to a combination of issues. The list includes discomfort, reduced activity levels, anxiety, worry, depression and use of medications such as codeine that relieve pain but disturb sleep.
Most experts recommend a range of seven to nine hours of sleep per night for adults, regardless of age or gender. This may seem impossible to people with chronic pain, but there are steps you can take to improve your sleep, which may lead to less pain and lower levels of depression and anxiety. First, talk with your doctor to see if there are medications that may lessen your sleep disturbance. You should also check with your doctor to make sure your current medications arent causing some of your sleep disturbance.
Following are tips for improving your sleep:
Can You Lose Your Legs From Neuropathy
Can neuropathy lead to amputation? Yes, neuropathy especially diabetic neuropathy can lead to limb amputation. Each year about 86,000 Americans with diabetes lose a limb. The sequence of events leading up to amputation is typically this: the high glucose levels seen in diabetes cause nerve damage.
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Nerve Damage In Neuropathy Progresses Sooner Than Previously Thought Lending Urgency To Earlier Detection And Treatment
With his pain gradually improving, William Loughran is headed back to the gym.
Mohammad Khoshnoodi
If we wait until these patients have large-fiber neuropathy, weve needlessly lost time and nerve function. This is one more reason to be aggressive about controlling patients glucose levels.
William Loughran retired from his job as a bank director in northeast Maryland in 2014, when he was 68. Like many new retirees, he vowed to ramp up his exercise routine.
I started going to the gym three or four times a week and walking every day, he says. I felt better than I had in years.
But then, after a long day of walking with his son during a visit to California, it began: I went to bed, and the soles of my feet felt like they were on fire, Loughran recalls. It was jabbing pain, pins-and-needles pain, and it was pretty severe.
Within weeks, Loughrans feet had become so painful that driving his car was a struggle. Just the slight pressure from the pedals was too much to tolerate, he says. For months, he spent almost all of his time at home, in bare feet.
After several false starts with physical therapists, podiatrists and other specialists, Loughran realized that he needed to see a neurologist. He searched online and learned that Johns Hopkins has a prominent research program in peripheral neuropathy.
In Loughrans case, the blood work strongly suggested prediabetes. He is acting accordingly. Ive cut out sodas, he says, and Im trying to get back to exercising.
When To Call Your Doctor
“Because caffeine can cause blood pressure to rise, if you struggle to maintain normal blood pressure, it would be smart to call your doctor if you’re having symptoms of cardiac or nervous system problems,” Hultin says. If you think the situation represents an emergency, don’t hesitate to take action, she adds.
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How Does Coffee Affect Blood Sugar
Unfortunately, research on whether coffee is good or bad for diabetes has offered mixed results, partly because the research was not conducted very rigorously. Some studies have suggested that drinking coffee once in a while can be bad for blood sugar levels by making you more insulin resistant. Other studies, however, have suggested that long-term, daily coffee drinking may cause the opposite effect.
In one such study, adults who drank more than 6 cups of coffee a day were found to have lower risk of diabetes than those who drank only 4 to 6 cups a day. Even those who drank just 1 to 4 cups a day demonstrated a lower risk of diabetes than non-drinkers. The exact reason behind this phenomenon is still unknown, but the main hypothesis is that the caffeine in coffee may have improved insulin sensitivitywhich means that cells are better able to absorb sugar and take it out of the blood, lowering blood sugar levels overall.
Foods To Avoid Or Incorporate When Living With Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a chronic condition that results from damage to or compression of the nerves outside the spinal cord and brain. It is a common condition which currently affects about 20 million Americans. There are several treatments options that exist for neuropathy, including conservative treatments such as lifestyle alterations to help alleviate or improve neuropathy symptoms.
A healthy diet can go a long way for patients living with neuropathy. Below we will discuss some food choices that may be helpful when dealing with neuropathy symptoms. Of course, you should always consult with your healthcare provider about your dietary restrictions before implementing changes.
Pain, numbness and tingling are just a few symptoms commonly experienced by those battling neuropathy. When determining which food to incorporate into their diet, these patients should focus on foods with anti-inflammatory properties. When looking at what foods to avoid, one should limit their intake of starchy foods and foods high in sodium. This is because excess sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which can slow down blood flow and lead to nerve damage.
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Searching For Causes Of Nerve Pain
For many people, the cause of nerve pain cannot be identified even after extensive testing. This is called unexplained nerve pain, or idiopathic neuropathy. Unexplained nerve pain may still be due to nerve damage that occurred at some point, but current medical knowledge and testing can’t say how, when, or why.
About 15 million to 20 million Americans are believed to have some form of nerve pain, in most cases without a definite cause. It’s most likely to occur in people over age 60.
In some studies, almost half of the participants with unexplained nerve pain also had prediabetes. Some experts believe that the elevated blood sugars of prediabetes may be the main cause of this. Almost 20% of all people with diabetes already have some neuropathy by the time they are diagnosed.
Other studies have found that metabolic syndrome — the combination of high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, obesity, and prediabetes — is also common in people with unexplained nerve pain. These factors may contribute to the pain.
How To Stop Neuropathy Pain At Night
There are options we can explore if your neuropathy pain seems to be worsening at night, explains Dr. Claytor. There might be oral or topical medications we can prescribe, or maybe its getting your stress under control and being more mindful.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy and meditation may be complementary tools to reduce pain as well.
Dr. Claytor stresses the importance of talking to your doctor sooner rather than later. Often times people will wait so long to see their physician that theres permanent nerve damage that might have been avoided.
I think one of the most important things I can discuss with a patient who comes in with neuropathy pain at night is getting to the root cause of what is actually driving it, says Dr. Claytor. Depending on what the underlying cause is, treating that first and foremost can usually help reduce the pain overall especially at night.
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How Much Sugar Is Too Much Sugar
For people without diabetes, the World Health Organization recommends eating less than 10% of your total calories of sugar. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that would translate to 50 g of total sugar from all sources per day. Thats especially important to remember when you get your coffee to go. An average Starbucks mocha can have 25 grams of sugar alone!
If you have diabetes, you need to work with your doctor to figure out the best limit for you. Determining this limit as a percentage of your total daily calories rather a set amount of sugar may allow you to adjust your intake more easily by how much you eat or how much you weigh.
Lastly, if you have any specific dietary questions or concerns, dont be shy about talking to your nutritionist or healthcare provider. Theyll be happy you checked in and can give you specific recommendations on what types of foods and drinks are best for your body.