People with diabetes typically put a lot of work into maintaining their blood sugar. If their blood sugar levels get too high then they’ll be at risk for diabetic neuropathy. In fact, about 50% of people with diabetes will experience diabetic neuropathy. The condition produces a range of symptoms as it injures or kills nerve cells. The severity of its effects can be lessened by taking action, such as changes to eating habits, lowering stress, keeping blood sugars in check,  weight loss, and taking doctor prescribed medications and treatments such as briviact, xcopri, and Pregabalin, as soon as the following symptoms occur.

1. Tingling or burning

Most diabetics are understandably concerned when they start to feel a burning or tingling sensation. It’s true that this is usually one of the first symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. But this symptom can actually be taken as a good sign which shows your nerves are still working properly. The odd sensations are a warning sign from your nerves to tell you that they’re hurt. But the important point to remember is that they’re still working well enough to send messages to your brain. If you pay prompt attention to this sensation and get to a doctor then there’s a good chance they’ll be able to help manage the diabetic neuropathy.

2. Numbness

A numbing sensation is the flipside of the previous symptom. When nerves are still functional but damaged, they send signals to register pain. But these signals fade away to a numbed lack of feeling after the nerve cells have finally ceased functioning. One of the most difficult aspects of this symptom is that people often don’t even notice it. We typically notice pain. But we don’t really pay attention to a total lack of pain in any given region. If you feel the earlier burning sensations and see it instantly stop hurting you should make a point of testing the area to see if it’s numb or still responsive to stimuli.

3. Sharp pain or cramping in the legs and feet

If you feel cramping or a sharp pain in your legs and feet then you might be suffering from a subcategory of the condition known as diabetic polyradiculopathy or proximal neuropathy. This is a type of diabetic neuropathy focused on the legs and feet. It’s particularly difficult to manage as we’re constantly stressing this part of our body. Likewise, we usually keep our legs and feet covered by clothing and footwear. It’s easy to just assume that we’re feeling the toll of a hard day on our feet when these symptoms first appear. But you should make sure to actually examine the areas where you feel pain or cramping. Both sensations are normal. But not when they appear out of nowhere and on a recurring basis. In those instances, there’s a good chance that it’s an expression of nerve damage.

4. Increased sensitivity to touch

Sensitivity to touch can arise from a number of different factors. It’s quite common for it to come about in combination with symptoms involving numbed areas. When an area of our body is numb we can inadvertently injure it. When the nerves manage to transmit feeling again we’re suddenly aware of the injury. Of course, the sensitivity can also arise from nerve damage. This is similar to how an injured area of our body is especially sensitive even after the sharpest pain has disappeared.

5. Foot issues (i.e., ulcers, infections, and joint pain)

Ulcers, infections and general joint pain are extremely common symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Most of us aren’t very aware of our feet. They’re covered in both socks and shoes for most of the day. And during this period we’re often imposing a lot of stress, or even damage, to any given part of our feet. The damage tends to escalate if someone can’t feel it due to diabetic neuropathy. This can turn a minor cut or scrape into full-blown ulcers and infections. Even something as severe as necrosis of the toes might only register as dull joint pain.