Diabetes and Numbness
Diabetes affects your body in more than just one way. One of the many after effects of diabetes is numbness in the feet. Increased blood sugar levels or diabetes leads to damaging of the nerves in the feet. This leads to numbness in the feet, which is also known as neuropathy.

Numbness as a result of diabetes is caused due to nerve damage. Diabetes related numbness may include insensitivity to temperature and pain. Diabetic neuropathy can primarily be classified into peripheral, focal and proximal. However, it is the peripheral neuropathy (the one that pertains to feet) that is the most common out of all.

Neuropathy is accompanied by severe pain. People suffering from neuropathy may feel that someone is pricking their feet with pins and needles. Also, wounds in the feet take longer to heal in those who are experiencing diabetic neuropathy. Foot ulcers are also a common symptom of neuropathy. Many diabetics feel week in their calf muscles and find it difficult to carry their own body weight.

It is for this reason that doctors advise diabetics to take special care of their feet. Whilst slight numbness in diabetics can be handled, the numbness may get worse in various individuals. At times, the problem of numbness becomes severe, and the feet may need to be amputated. The problem of numbness may also extend to other parts of the body which can affect the digestive tract, heart and other sex organs.

Prevention and treatment
Though there is no fixed cure to diabetic neuropathy, the problem can be fended off by taking appropriate precautionary measures. Monitoring glucose levels on a regular basis can help you keep your diabetes in control. You must also follow a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthy diet and exercising to keep your sugar levels in check. This will help avoid numbness or diabetic neuropathy and keep the problem in check.

Drinking soybean milk can be of help in dealing with diabetes related numbness. Taking a teaspoon of honey along with soybean milk every night before sleeping, tones the nervous system. Barley brew is again extremely beneficial for those dealing with diabetic neuropathy. You can also drink mixed juices of raw carrot and spinach to overcome numbness.

However, sometimes these precautionary measures may not prove to be of much help specifically in type 1 diabetes. Numbness can strike people suffering from type 1 diabetes simply because of the reason that they have been suffering from the problem for a long time.

If symptoms of diabetic neuropathy or numbness worsen, you must consult a doctor before the entire situation goes out of control.

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