Diabetes & Nervous System - Is There A Link?

Many people believe that urinary tract infections occur within the body due to excess levels of sugar. However, high levels of blood glucose damage the nerves that control the emptying of the bladder. This results in the retention of urine, that allows the festering of microbes, for longer within the bladder and urethra. Once the nerves get the control back and start emptying the bladder normally, the incidence of UTIs goes down drastically.

Neural damage caused by diabetes, initially, causes pain in your extremities and thus results in chronic pain in your legs and arms. However, if the nerve damage continues, then eventually, they will be too damaged to perceive pain signals and return them to the brain. This may result in injuries, infections, wounds or even amputations of the limb. Thus, it is important that you schedule diabetes checks as well as body checkups to ensure that your nerves are still properly functional and also to reverse the damage, if any.

Alzheimer's is caused due to the damage to nerves in the outer layer of the cerebral cortex. Thus, this ends up damaging the brain cells and the neurotransmitter which then stops relaying important information to the brain. The neural damage in Alzheimer's is akin to the nerve damage all over the body from high levels of blood glucose. Also, it has been noticed that people with insulin resistance have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer's. Therefore, it is advisable that you make lifestyle changes to keep insulin levels within the normal range over prolonged periods.

Diabetes, especially, hyperglycemia or high levels of blood glucose, can affect the nerves within your body and thus cause pain all over, especially the extremities such as arms or legs. Legs are especially vulnerable as temporary or even permanent paralysis could set in with prolonged exposure to diabetes. Hence, if you are diabetic and are suffering from chronic leg pain, go visit your doctor to ensure that both diabetes as well as your nerve damage, remain under control.