07/01/2021
THE REASON WHY DIABETICS HAVE NUMBNESS IN LIMBS
Your peripheral nerves send information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of your body. These nerves also send sensory information – things like pain, temperature, and vibration – to your central nervous system.
In people with type 2 diabetes, the body is resistant to insulin. This is a hormone that helps glucose (sugar) move into cells so it can be used for energy. Eventually, the body does not make enough insulin. Since there is not enough insulin to move glucose in the cells, the extra glucose stays in the blood. This extra glucose in the blood damages nerves, as well as the small blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves.
Peripheral neuropathy can affect 1 or more nerves in different areas of the body, though it usually begins in the feet, legs, hands, and arms. The damaged nerves can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
- Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands, which often spreads to the legs and arms. Some people describe it as a “pins and needles” feeling.
- Stabbing, throbbing, or burning pain
- Sensitivity to touch or temperature
- Pain during movements or activities that normally do not cause pain, like pain in the feet when standing up
- Difficulty with coordination or falling
- Muscle weakness
- Feeling like you have socks or gloves on even when you do not
Symptoms are usually worse at night. Most people experience symptoms on both sides of the body, but they can occur only on 1 side