Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Nerve Pain?Is It a Symptom of Diabetes?Treatments & ManagementWhen to Seek Medical CareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Nerve Pain?
Is It a Symptom of Diabetes?
Treatments & Management
When to Seek Medical Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetes isn’t the only problem that can develop as a result of high blood sugar. Over time, excessive amounts of glucose (sugar) and fats in your blood can lead to many complications, including painful nerve damage.
Nerve pain that comes along with a diagnosis ofdiabetesis referred to asdiabetic neuropathy. Many types of neuropathy exist, but this particular variety results from uncontrolled diabetes. It can cause pain, numbness, and burning or tingling sensations.
In this article, you will learn about other possible causes of neuropathy and what you can do to prevent and treat diabetic neuropathy.
What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Nerve pain, orneuropathic pain, is caused from damage to a nerve. Neuropathy (nerve damage) can result from injuries,infections, or various conditions. When diabetes is the cause, neuropathy develops fromhigh blood sugarover long periods of time.
An Overview of Neuropathic Pain
Injuries or Infection
Several types of injuries can lead to physical damage to yournerves or nervous system.
Some injuries that could result in nerve pain include:
Several infections can cause peripheral nerve damage, such as:
Circulatory and Vascular Diseases
Blood vessels supply your body—including all your nerves and tissues—with the nutrients and oxygen they need to function. Numerous symptoms can appear when there is a disruption in this supply chain.
People with diabetes are at a heightenedrisk of developing vascular and circulation problems, as well as a narrowing of the blood vessels fromhigh blood pressureor cholesterol. All of these can contribute to diabetic nerve pain.
What Is Vascular Disease?
Autoimmune Diseases
Inflammation is common in people with autoimmune diseases and diabetes, and this inflammation is often to blame for tissue damage and other conditions. Autoimmune diseases can also cause the body to attack its own tissues, including nerve fibers.
Some autoimmune diseases that may increase your risk of developing diabetic nerve pain include:
Metabolic Diseases
Your metabolic system dictates how your body produces and uses energy. Diabetes can impact your metabolism and related systems, causing a number of issues.
Nerve pain can develop as a result of metabolic diseases, including:
What Is Metabolic Syndrome?
Treatments and Medication
Some medications or medical treatments, likechemotherapy and radiation therapyfor cancer, carry a high risk of nerve damage that can lead to nerve pain—even years after treatment has ended.
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Is Nerve Pain a Symptom of Diabetes?
Nerve pain isn’t a direct symptom of diabetes; it’s acomplicationofuncontrolled blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar and fats in your blood from diabetes cause nerve pain. Up to 50% of people with diabetes develop some form of neuropathy.
People who have diabetes alongside the following conditions are most likely to develop diabetic nerve pain:
Carefulmanagement of your blood sugar levelsand reducing risk factors can help minimize your chances of developing diabetic nerve pain.
Treatments and Management of Nerve Pain
Most people who develop diabetic neuropathy only experience mild numbness. While this numbness can be uncomfortable and sometimes alarming, most people with diabetic nerve pain have enough sensation to help avoid serious injuries.
Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is the first step in treating nerve pain from diabetes. Around one year after improving your overall diabetes management, it’s possible to see some improvement in nerve pain.
If getting your blood sugar under control doesn’t bring you any relief, your healthcare provider may offer you prescriptionmedicationsto help reduce neuropathic pain and improve your overall quality of life:
Nonpharmaceutical treatmentsthat may help reduce pain from peripheral neuropathy include:
What Type of Nerve Pain Medication Is Right for Me?
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
In some cases, nerve pain from diabetes can become more severe—especially if the nerve damage impacts the health of other important body systems. Some conditions that could develop alongside diabetic nerve pain or as a later complication include:
Talk to your healthcare provider if you develop symptoms beyond your usual nerve pain.
What Causes Nerve Pain in Hands and How Is It Treated?
Summary
While nerve pain occurs from injuries, infections, and many conditions, it can also be a symptom of diabetes. People with uncontrolled diabetes are at risk for developing all sorts of complications, including diabetic nerve pain, or diabetic neuropathy. If you have diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to avoid this and other complications related to your disease.
Peripheral Neuropathy
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked QuestionsNerve pain is usually described as numbness or tingling, like pins and needles, or a burning or stinging sensation.Learn MoreAn Overview of Neuropathic PainThere are several medications, including those developed to treat nerve damage and/or pain, that may improve your diabetic nerve pain.Learn MoreWhat Type of Nerve Pain Medication Is Right for Me?While nerve pain may improve with changes like better management of blood sugar levels, it’s unlikely to disappear completely once you develop neuropathy. Some medications and therapies may also help relieve nerve pain.Learn MoreDiabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Outlook
Nerve pain is usually described as numbness or tingling, like pins and needles, or a burning or stinging sensation.Learn MoreAn Overview of Neuropathic Pain
Nerve pain is usually described as numbness or tingling, like pins and needles, or a burning or stinging sensation.
Learn MoreAn Overview of Neuropathic Pain
There are several medications, including those developed to treat nerve damage and/or pain, that may improve your diabetic nerve pain.Learn MoreWhat Type of Nerve Pain Medication Is Right for Me?
There are several medications, including those developed to treat nerve damage and/or pain, that may improve your diabetic nerve pain.
Learn MoreWhat Type of Nerve Pain Medication Is Right for Me?
While nerve pain may improve with changes like better management of blood sugar levels, it’s unlikely to disappear completely once you develop neuropathy. Some medications and therapies may also help relieve nerve pain.Learn MoreDiabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Outlook
While nerve pain may improve with changes like better management of blood sugar levels, it’s unlikely to disappear completely once you develop neuropathy. Some medications and therapies may also help relieve nerve pain.
Learn MoreDiabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Outlook
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.National Institutes of Health.What is diabetic neuropathy?Bodman MA, Varacallo M.Peripheral diabetic neuropathy. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Effectiveness of treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.National Institutes of Health.What is diabetic neuropathy?Bodman MA, Varacallo M.Peripheral diabetic neuropathy. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Effectiveness of treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.National Institutes of Health.What is diabetic neuropathy?Bodman MA, Varacallo M.Peripheral diabetic neuropathy. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Effectiveness of treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.
National Institutes of Health.What is diabetic neuropathy?
Bodman MA, Varacallo M.Peripheral diabetic neuropathy. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Effectiveness of treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
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