If you were on fire, you’d probably quick put out the flames. However, what happens when the fire is inside your feet? People with diabetic peripheral neuropathy experience burning pain in their feet as a result of nerve damage. This means they have to go about their daily lives with a relentless fire in their limbs.

Nerve Disorder Caused by Diabetes

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder in the feet caused by diabetes. Spikes in blood sugar levels damage the nerves in the feet, which is why this condition is common in people who have problems controlling their levels. The risk also goes up the longer you have diabetes and the older you get.

Three types of nerves can be damaged: the ones that sense pain, touch, or temperature; motor nerves that control movement; and automatic nerves that control blood pressure. The disorder can affect one nerve or multiple nerves. You might start to feel the damage in your toes first, since those are the nerves that are farthest away from your heart.

What Causes the Pain?

The causes could be related to your metabolism, specifically high blood sugar, low levels of insulin, blood fat levels that aren’t normal, and the duration you’ve had diabetes. Autoimmune disorders that inflame the nerves and neurovascular disorders that damage the blood vessels could be another cause. If this painful nerve damage runs in your family, you could be more at risk for inheriting the disorder. Alcohol and smoking are other lifestyle choices that could make your condition worse.

How the Fire Starts

The symptoms might start to show up over the course of a few months. First, some numbness and tingling might appear. During this time, your feet may start to feel very sensitive to touch. While your symptoms progress, you might start to experience a burning and sharp pain that feels like an electric shock.

We know the devastating impact this pain can have on your life. You might feel like lying in bed all day and never getting out. The truth is that the earlier you make an appointment, the earlier we can try to treat your symptoms. Don’t wait until you have no feeling in the entirety of your feet. Damage from this condition might be reversible if you see a doctor early enough.

Extinguish the Blaze and Get Treatment

If you make an appointment with Foot Doctor of the East Bay, we’ll take some initial tests on your feet to diagnose how much your problem has progressed. If you’ve lost all feeling in your feet, you’re more susceptible to developing ulcers and wounds, which might require more thorough treatment.

We can recommend anti-inflammatory pain relievers and listen to your concerns and questions about treatment. If you have any reservations about pain medication, we’ll try to work out the best plan for you. Other treatments include electronic stimulation, platelet-rich plasma injections, physical therapy, foot braces, laser therapy, and surgery.

The best way to prevent this disorder is to keep your blood sugar levels stable. If you start to feel symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, call Dr. Michael Stein and Zeindelin Ahmad, DPM at Foot Doctor of the East Bay in San Leandro at (510) 483-3390, Pleasanton at (925) 425-9684, and Los Gatos at (408) 356-6767. You can follow our offices on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest too!