Managing diabetes can be tough. This is especially true when you begin to notice new symptoms. You may be wondering if these symptoms could be related to your diabetes. The answer could be yes. The American Diabetes Association reports that about 50% of people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage know as diabetic neuropathy.
In the early stages of diabetic neuropathy, you may have no signs or you may have numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or both. Because nerve damage can occur over several years, these cases may go unnoticed. You may only become aware of neuropathy if the nerve damage gets worse and becomes painful. Pain caused by nerve damage from diabetes is often called "diabetic nerve pain."
"Diabetic nerve pain" is a growing problem. About 8% of Americans have diabetes. Unfortunately, this number is only growing. As would be expected, the number of people suffering from diabetic "nerve pain" has also increased.
- It is estimated that more than 25 million Americans are affected by diabetes
- Diabetic "nerve pain" is a common diabetes complication, as are kidney and eye (retinopathy)
- Approximately 21% of patients with diabetes have diabetic "nerve pain"
- This adds up to 5 million Americans with diabetic "nerve pain"
Nerve pain is not the same as other types of pain you may experience, therefore, requires specialized testing. This test being Epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD). This test is utilized to determine the presence, and the degree, of small fiber peripheral neuropathy and rule out large fiber involvement. This test additionally provides an objective baseline prior to the initiation of therapy by your physician, with repeat of the test within 6-12 months to assess disease progression, or alternatively, disease regression. The test results provide pertinent information to your doctor, which allows a specialized treatment regimen. This treatment regimen can consist of Metanx. Metanx provides the nutritional requirements needed by patients with diabetes to restore the metabolic processes associated with "diabetic nerve pain" to mmaintain blood flow in the blood vessels that carry the nutrients and oxygen to your nerves and pprovide the required nutrients to help facilitate nerve repair including production of the myelin sheath, a substance that insulates and protects nerve fibers.
If you or someone you know has "diabetic nerve pain," please contact 1 of our 3 offices for further information or evaluation:
Middleburg Heights Office: Phone (440) 243-1473
Lyndhurst Office: Phone (216) 382-8070
Beachwood Office: Phone (216) 591-1905