Does diabetic autonomic and peripheral neuropathy eventually kill you?

2 Comments

1. rosieC says:

   March 10, 2010 at 12:24 am

   Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

   The areas of the body most commonly affected by diabetic peripheral neuropathy((nerve injury)
   are the feet and legs. Nerve damage in the feet can result in a loss of foot sensation, increasing your risk of foot problems. Injuries and sores on the feet may go unrecognized due to lack of sensation. The painless neuropathy greatly increases the risk of severe tissue injury because pain no longer alerts the person to injury.

   Regular foot exams are important to identify small infections and prevent progression to ulceration (skin and soft tissue breakdown) requiring amputation

   Diabetic autonomic neuropathy most often affects the digestive system, especially the stomach,(bloating;) blood vessels( low blood pressure) , urinary system( incontinence), and sex organs(ED). To prevent autonomic neuropathy, continuously keep your blood glucose levels well controlled

   Severe long tem complications of autonomic neuropathies can result from unnoticed type 2 diabetes, including renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy, vascular disease (including coronary artery disease), vision damage due to diabetic retinopathy, loss of sensation or pain due to nerve damage or peripheral neuropathy.

   Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually, they can eventually be disabling or even life-threatening. Some of the potential complications of diabetes include:

   ■Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure. In fact, according to a 2007 study, the risk of stroke more than doubles within the first five years of being treated for type 2 diabetes. About 75 percent of people who have diabetes die of some type of heart or blood vessel disease, according to the American Heart Association.
   ■Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Poorly controlled blood sugar can eventually cause you to lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Damage to the nerves that control digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, erectile dysfunction may be an issue.
   ■Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure
   ■Eye damage. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.
   ■Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections. Severe damage might require toe, foot or even leg amputation.
   ■Skin and mouth conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. Gum infections also may be a concern, especially if you have a history of poor dental hygiene.
   ■Osteoporosis. Diabetes may lead to lower than normal bone mineral density, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
   ■Alzheimer’s disease. Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be. So what connects the two conditions? One theory is that cardiovascular problems caused by diabetes could contribute to dementia by blocking blood flow to the brain or causing strokes. Other possibilities are that too much insulin in the blood leads to brain-damaging inflammation, or lack of insulin in the brain deprives brain cells of glucose.
   ■Hearing problems. Diabetes can also lead to hearing impairment.

   Most diabetics die from ESRD requiring dialysis or kidney transplant.
2. Raleighwood5 says:

   March 10, 2010 at 12:24 am

   Not directly. But autonomic and pheripheral neuropathy can lead to blindness, kidney failure, and complications associated with the inability to detect injuries to the body (.i.e injury to foot, etc., can lead to serious infections). Not to mention that uncontrolled diabetes is the # 1 precursor to Cardiovascular Disease. I have treated many diabetics who have progressed to serious life altering complications merely because they did not take diabetes seriously. If you are a diabetic or know a diabetic, good glucose monitoring/control, regularly scheduled A1C tests are VERY important. Keep the A1C at/below 7.0 for good control.
   Have this helped…

   Donna M., RN, BSN