| |
| |
|
Diabetes Information |
|
|
|
Recommended Resources:
The toes burn and tingle and sharp pains shoot into your legs. The bed sheets feel uncomfortable on the feet as you toss and turn, trying to get some rest. Your feet felt numb throughout the day, but now feel like they are on fire. Nothing seems to help as you watch the hours on the clock pass by, hoping to fall asleep. Burning, numbness, tingling, hot and cold sensations, shooting and electrical pain are common sensations felt at rest in painful peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy is an abnormality of the nervous system. There are many different types of neuropathy, but the most common neuropathy effecting diabetics is peripheral neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is described as a loss of sensation that starts in the tips of the toes and gradually works its way up the legs, and in severe case into the hands. It is sometimes referred to as a stocking glove neuropathy because it progresses as if one was pulling on a stocking. Sixty percent of diabetics have some type of neuropathy in their feet. Five percent of diabetics will experience painful diabetic neuropathy and the incidence increases with age. Over 45% of individuals who have had diabetes for over 25 years will experience some symptoms of painful diabetic neuropathy. The cause of diabetic neuropathy is not clearly understood. Many believe that the damage to the small vessels surrounding the nerves, from the diabetes, causes damage to the nerves. Others believe the increase in blood sugar causes damage to the nerves. Despite the different theories, studies have shown better blood sugar control helps prevent progression of the neuropathy. There are currently no treatments to help reverse diabetic neuropathy. There are no treatments which help reduce the numbness. But, there are many treatments to help decrease the pain associated with the neuropathy. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help with the pain. There are many options, but until recently none were FDA approved for the treatment of painful neuropathy. Cymbalta®, duloxetine HCl, was recently approved by the FDA in September of 2004 for use in diabetic peripheral neuropathy at doses of 60 and 120 mg per day. This is the first drug approved for this use. Similar medications, like amitriptyline, desipramine and nortriptyline, have been used to help decrease pain and help with sleep. Gabapentin, also known as Neurontin®, has been a successful treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy. Neurontin® was originally approved by the FDA for adjunctive use in seizures, but the benefits of this drug for other conditions, like neuropathy, soon became known. The manufacturers of Neurontin® were caught up in a controversy regarding their marketing tactics for this off label use. Many physicians still use this drug despite the controversy. Tegretol and Dilantin, common seizure medications, can be used in more severe cases. New treatments include lidocaine 5% cream, acetyl-L-canitine, nerve growth factor and Annodyne ®, infrared therapy. To help treat painful peripheral neuropathy without prescription medications, consider the following tips: 1. Keep your blood sugar in control: Studies have shown that when blood sugars remain high, or roller coaster from high to low, peripheral neuropathy will worsen. 2. Exercise. This is probably the last thing you wanted to hear. Exercise helps increase circulation and stimulates the growth of new vessels which help slow the progression of the neuropathy. Exercising also helps to increase your pain threshold and to provide a distraction from the nerve pain in your feet. 3. Eat healthy. Besides helping to control your blood sugar, eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables will add anti-oxidants to your diet. Anti-oxidants will combat the damaging oxidative effects glucose has on your nerves. In particular, try dark-green, leafy vegetables, yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits and tomatoes. 4. Try red pepper powder. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chile peppers. When applied to the feet it acts as a counter-irritant and can help decrease neuropathic pain. Capsaicin can be purchased at your local drug store. If you cannot afford capsaicin, try mixing 1 tablespoon of dry chile powder with 2 tablespoons of baby powder. Place the mixture in a sock and use the socks at night. 5. Try alpha lipoic acid. ALA is an effective anti-oxidant that has been shown to relieve pain associated with neuropathy in multiple studies. To help relieve pain, the dose must be at least 600mg a day. It is advisable to start with a lower dose, as higher doses can cause nausea, stomach upset, fatigue, insomnia and can lower blood sugar. In general, ALA is a safe supplement. 6. Try gamma linolenic acid. GLA is an essential fatty acid found in evening primrose oil. Most of the studies have shown modest results, but the possibilities are still encouraging. Take 360mg/day. Many indications require higher dosages, but side effects with long term use at higher doses may include inflammation, thrombosis (blood clots), or decreased immune system functioning. Treating painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy is very difficult and many of the above mentioned therapies should be tried and combined. Don't expect any "cures" and make sure you give each therapy a chance to work. Christine Dobrowolski is a podiatrist and the author of Those Aching Feet: Your Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Foot Problems. To learn more about Dr. Dobrowolski and her book visit http://www.skipublishing.com/ or http://www.northcoastfootcare.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Raising Happy Diabetic Kids This is the first in a series of articles I am about to embark upon concerning this subject. As my family gets older and matures with this disease I think back to the early days and wonder why aren't we all on medication for depression? Why don't we have standing twice a week appointments with a psychiatrist? How did we end up so normal?(whatever that is) As I look back this didn't happen by accident, nor am I Super Dad, and I didn't plan it out step by step. Treating Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy The toes burn and tingle and sharp pains shoot into your legs. The bed sheets feel uncomfortable on the feet as you toss and turn, trying to get some rest. Get More Out Of Life While Managing Your Diabetes When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 21, I had not given the first thought to living a healthy diabetic lifestyle. As far as I was concerned, a healthy lifestyle was reserved only for fitness junkies and overweight moms. Diabetes: Calling For Double Trouble! Diabetes!!!Open your eyes to the catastrophic effects of Diabetes. The mere thought of Diabetes brings so many questions and fears into our mind . Diabetes: African Americans Deadly Foe Diabetes is having a devastating effect on the African American community. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in African Americans and their death rates are twenty seven percent higher than whites. Diabetes the Silent Killer - The Iceberg Effect! What sank the "Unsinkable Ship" the Titanic was not the tip of the iceberg, but the lurking 90% percent of the iceberg hidden under the surface. In the movie you see the captain steer the ship clear of the block of ice on top of the water, but underneath not known to the captain, crew or passengers, the razor sharp ice was splitting the steel bottom of the vessel like a stick of melted butter. Diabetes Awreness: There's No Substitute for Good Friends Was there a time when you relished the idea of giving dinner parties?What a great opportunity to bond with old friends, try out a few new recipes, and find a reason to clean up the house!Has diabetes robbed you of the enjoyable events involving your friends and family?Diabetes has an ugly characteristic of wrecking the lives of it's victims by forcing them into seclusion.If you have been neglecting the enjoyable events of your life, please take action to control your diabetes. Double Diabetes -- Placing Your Kids at Even More Risk In some medical circles it's called Type 3 Diabetes. Teenagers and young adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, if overweight or obese, can develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Diabetes Awareness: Wake Up Call When traveling on out-of-town business, its common to have the hotel front desk give you a wake-up call in the morning. You want to avoid the embarrassment and repercussions of being late for your business appointments. Diabetes - A National Epidemic Are you a diabetic? If so, you are definitely not alone. There are approximately 16 million people in the United States who have diabetes. Fanning the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic INTRODUCTIONIt is my pleasure to introduce to you, a new Diabetes Prevention Education, Public Relations Campaign established under the name Fannie Estelle Hill Grant, started by me, Lyndia Grant-Briggs, after the loss of my mother who succumbed to Type 2 Diabetes on Christmas Day, December 25, 2000. I noticed a fire burning in the Diabetes health arena, and it is still burning out of control. Living Healthy with Diabetes Diabetes affects around 16 million Americans and about 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Diabetes attacks men, women, children and the elderly. The Importance Of Following And Maintaining A Diabetic Diet A diabetic diet is a specially designed eating plan that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat. People with diabetes don't need to go out and purchase special foods to maintain a diabetic diet, they can eat the same foods as the whole family. Build Health: Want To Prevent Diabetes? To prevent diabetes you will get a real jolt when you follow the prescription offered up in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."This 'prestigious' organization reported on separate studies of coffee drinkers in Sweden and Finland. Diabetes, A Bad Omen Or A Fresh Start? So you've learned that you've got diabetes. Well after the initial shock, you're stuck with dealing with the lifestyle changes that come with your diagnosis. How Do You Know If You Have Diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a disorder characterized by the inability of the body to either produce or respond to insulin making it impossible to maintain proper levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The extra glucose is excreted in the urine and because of the high level of glucose more water is flushed through. Favorite Desserts For A Diabetic Husband It's easier than you think to create delicious desserts for your diabetic husband. When I had to get right down to it the ideas came flying at me out of my kitchen cupboard!Here's a few of his favorites:Easy Orange/Banana Parfait1 pkge Lite Orange Jello (no sugar) 2 cups vanilla yogurt (fat free, no sugar but artificially sweetened) 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp Splenda 1 banana 1/8 cup Lite cream cheese Makes 4 servingsPrepare the jello per the package directions. Accu-Check Aviva Glucometer - New for Diabetes Testing Now you can help make every test strip count as you can test right the very first time.The wide-mouth strip quickly sucks on the tiny blood drop, helping 97% of diabetes fill the strip on the very first try. Diabetes Break-Thru Helps Battle Blood Sugar Woes Are you a diabetic? If so, you are definitely not alone. Recent numbers report that there are some 18 million Type 2 diabetics. Get Rid of Your Diabetes People at risk of getting the disease drop by a staggering 60 percent if they manage to lose just 10 pounds by following a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise such as walking, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (May 3, 2001).
|
Recommended Resources:
Delicious Diabetic Recipes Over 500 Tasty Diabetic Recipes, sure to please your tastebuds and satisfy your diet restrictions!
e-BizResources.com For info on starting and running your own online business.
home | site map
© 2006
