Diabetic Neuropathy

At this moment in time, there are a wide variety of medical conditions that tend to go unnoticed in their initial stages, but then tend to provide a lot of pain to the patients. One such example is diabetic neuropathy, which has been proven to become both debilitating and painful later down the line.

However, in case treatment is begun early, from the first signs of the condition, then the microvascular damage which underlies the progression of this disease can be either prevented or slowed down.

What is the treatment?

At this moment in time, the treatment involves several aspects, these being:

Blood Sugar Control

Patients with high and fluctuating levels of sugar in their blood can easily increase the risk of nerve damage. With this in mind, controlling blood sugar with the help of antidiabetic medication such us insulin, alongside with regular exercise and a strict diet can prevent and/or slow down the progress of the condition.

Pain Relief

Unfortunately, advances cases of diabetic neuropathy can cause extreme pain to the patients. The symptoms of severe pain are currently being treated with medication such as:

• antidepressant medication like imipramine, duloxetine, desipramine, bupropion, venlafaxine and paroxetine.
• medication that works against seizures such as gabapentin, pregabalin etc.
• opioids with pain relieving properties such as tramadol and oxycodone

Most patients may require to be administered a combination of these drugs, depending on their efficiency and the health status of the patient in question. Patients who are also dealing with anxiety and depression linked to the condition should be offered cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling.

There are also a couple of pain relieving drugs that can be applied over the affected areas present on the skin, such as lidocaine. Other pain relief methods include magnetic therapy, acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation and more.

The relief of gastrointestinal-based problems

Patients dealing with gastrointestinal problems are encouraged to eat small and frequent meals. Medication like erythromycin or metoclopramide is used to treated slow gastric transit and other similar conditions.

People suffering from diabetic neuropathy can also deal with urology issues such as erectile dysfunction or vaginal dryness which can be treated via various drugs. Unfortunately, diabetic foot is a true issue, which needs to be closely monitored. Patients are required to attend check-ups as often as possible to ensure the health of their feet.