Peripheral neuropathy,also called distal symmetric neuropathy or sensorimotor neuropathy,is nerve damage in the arms and legs.Your feet and legs are likely to be affected before your hands and arms.Many people with diabetes have signs of neuropathy that a doctor could note but feel no symptoms themselves.Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include:
- numbness or insensitivity to pain or temperature
- a tingling,burning,or prickling sensation
- sharp pains or cramps
- extreme sensitivity to touch,even light touch
- loss of balance and coordination
These symptoms are often worse at night.
Peripheral neuropathy may also cause muscle weakness and loss of reflexes,especially at the ankle,leading to changes in the way a person walks.Foot deformities,such as hammertoes and the collapse of the midfoot,may occur.Blisters and sores may appear on numb areas of the foot because pressure or injury goes unnoticed.If foot injuries are not treated promptly,the infection may spread to the bone,and the foot may then have to be amputated.Some experts estimate that half of all such amputations are preventable if minor problems are caught and treated in time.
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