Neurological complication in diabetes mellitus

There is very little one can do once the nervous system is affected in diabetes mellitus. The nerves once degenerated cannot regenerate nor can new nerves be generated. Therefore diabetic neuropathy is considered a highly difficult complication to deal with. Firstly you need to understand that the complication develops over a period of 10 -15 years so it is already tough to follow through its development stages. But of course one needs to know what can get you there and what needs to be taken care of.

Lets enlist what can go wrong from lowest risk to highest. Well, its a diabetic complication so there won't be less risky either way you look.
1. Tingly Wingly - Not a very good thing if you feel tingly on your arm and shoulders or even your feet. The first sign that you need a neuro consult ASAP. Tingling of the body parts indicate that the nerve endings are degenerating or damaged or lack oxygen and are incapable of completing the neuro transmission to the next nerve ending.

2. Loss of sensation - Take your foot and take pricky but blunt object and try to poke the sole of the foot. When you feel the prick thats normal where you don't it indicates there could nerve damage. Again we now know how diabetes damages organs like in the previous posts. The same is applicable to the nerve ending.

3. Gangrene like degeneration - This may even be gangrene but it is not due to the bacteria clostridium perfringes, although it is due to the anaerobic cell metabolism that leads to muscle loss and nerve damage in the localized area of the extremeties. This is serious to an extent where the body part or limb needs to be amputated. This may spread further and worst is being painless you don't realize it unless its late. It is also complicated as diabetic foot but thats due to harbouring of the bacteria in the lower extremity due to unhygeinic conditions and excess blood sugar acting as good nutrient for the micro organism.

4. Stroke - Neurological damage can range anywhere any how and it need not be only in a localized form. Stroke being the deadliest as its permanent major damage to the body and very few cases recover from it. Stroke is one of the top 5 causes of death worldwide and diabetes is one of the top most reasons for its cause of course heart disease included. Stroke is a result of the oxidative nature of the free radicals in the blood and heart disease clogging the blood supply to arteries in the brain area.Stroke can do damage to vital organs like heart, lungs, kidneys and liver not to mention the brain and spinal cord which in turn cause death.

Although it seems pretty dry as a topic to read about the parameters of stroke or neural damage are huge and need to be explained seperately later. Till then take care.

Wish you wellness.

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