What is peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which damage has been done to the peripheral nervous system. As a result, patients can experience numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, burning, aching, and extreme sensitivity to touch, among other things. There are many causes for the condition, one of the most common being diabetes. Others include injury, vitamin deficiencies, and genetics. There are many types of neuropathies, and differing stages and time frames for the disorder. Treatment options include topical pain medications and behavioral and dietary adjustments, though in more extreme cases more may be required.

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy is a peripheral nerve disorder caused by diabetes. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are often slight at first. In fact, some mild cases may go unnoticed for a long time. Numbness, pain, or tingling in the feet, or legs may, after several years, lead to weakness in the muscles of the feet. Occasionally, diabetic neuropathy can flare up suddenly and affect specific nerves so that an affected individual will develop double vision or drooping eyelids, or weakness and atrophy of the thigh muscles. Nerve damage caused by diabetes generally occurs over a period of years and may lead to problems with the digestive tract and sexual organs, which can cause indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, bladder infections, and impotence. The loss of sensation in the feet may increase the possibility for foot injuries to go unnoticed and develop into ulcers or lesions that become infected.