Diabetic Neuropathy
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What is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Organizations
Additional resources from MEDLINEplus
What is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Diabetic neuropathy is a peripheral nerve disorder caused by diabetes. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are often slight
at first. In fact, some mild cases may go unnoticed for a long time. Numbness, pain, or tingling in the feet, or legs may,
after several years, lead to weakness in the muscles of the feet. Occasionally, diabetic neuropathy can flare up suddenly
and affect specific nerves so that an affected individual will develop double vision or drooping eyelids, or weakness and
atrophy of the thigh muscles. Nerve damage caused by diabetes generally occurs over a period of years and may lead to problems
with the digestive tract and sexual organs, which can cause indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, bladder infections,
and impotence. The loss of sensation in the feet may increase the possibility for foot injuries to go unnoticed and develop
into ulcers or lesions that become infected.
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.
American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) P.O. Box 850 Rocklin, CA 95677-0850 ACPA@pacbell.net http://www.theacpa.org Tel: 916-632-0922 800-533-3231 Fax: 916-632-3208 |
American Diabetes Association 1701 North Beauregard Street Alexandria, VA 22311 askada@diabetes.org http://www.diabetes.org Tel: 800-DIABETES (342-2383) 703-549-1500 |
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, International 120 Wall Street New York, NY 10005-4001 info@jdrf.org http://www.jdrf.org Tel: 800-533-CURE (-2873) 212-785-9500 Fax: 212-795-9595 |
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research (NIDCR) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, Room 5B-55 Bethesda, MD 20892 nidcrinfo@mail.nih.gov http://www.nidcr.nih.gov Tel: 301-496-4261 |
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, Rm. 9A06 MSC 2560 Bethesda, MD 20892-2560 http://www.niddk.nih.gov Tel: 301-496-3583 |
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Last updated February 12, 2007