Cheap Diabetes Medical Supply

A lot of symptoms of diabetes can start out subtly, unlike heart attacks or strokes which cause sudden catastrophic emergencies.  In some cases, the first thing that a patient notes is a tingling sensation in their hands, and in some others, in soles of their feet.  If patients who have this symptom cannot point to a known cause, it is worth further investigation.  Most often, the initially affected body parts are the hands and the feet, or the classic “stocking-and-glove” distribution.  Patients may describe it as numbness, loss of feeling, or even a “pins and needles” sensation.  Regardless of whichever way patients may describe it, the symptom can possibly be attributed to the nerve damage caused by diabetes.  This problem with nerve function is called neuropathy.

What causes neuropathy in diabetics has to do with uncontrolled blood sugar.  As the body metabolizes the sugar we had from our diet, the byproducts from the excess glucose, such as sorbitol, can eventually accumulate.  As these build up, they hinder normal nerve processes from continuing.  Therefore, because the nerves cannot function as they should, damage is inevitable, and symptoms such as numbness and tingling can sooner or later arise.

One of the biggest risks in having an impaired sensation in the extremities is the loss of pain perception.  Because most of those who have diabetic neuropathies do not feel what happens as they touch sharp or harmful objects, they cannot protect themselves from it.  So they can have a cut, a blister, a bruise, and yet they are not able to detect it until much later.  For example, a diabetic patient can step on broken glass but have no knowledge that he did, only to discover later that he has bleeding wounds.  The complication arises when the patient also has poor wound healing and can sustain infections from these uncared for cuts.

Around half of diabetics can have some form of neuropathy.  However, it must be kept in mind that the abnormal sensations from neuropathy cannot be attributed to diabetes mellitus alone.  There can be a constellation of causes that can result in neuropathy.  It is therefore best to be seen by a physician when there is any decreased or abnormal sensation in the palms, soles, or any body part.

The first step in diagnosing the cause of neuropathy is to take a simple blood sugar test.  If through the test diabetes is confirmed, then it is important to take measures to control the blood glucose levels.  There are different medications that may be prescribed to control blood sugar and to gradually return the integrity of the nerves.  Furthermore, it is very important to give advice regarding lifestyle modifications such as proper diet, regular physical activity, and blood sugar monitoring.

Diabetes, and the symptoms that go along with it, need not be a devastating health problem.  With regular glucose monitoring and good adherence to medical advice, diabetes mellitus can be well controlled and managed.