Did you know that neuropathy is estimated to be present in 7.5 percent of all patients at the time of their diabetes diagnosis? Out of the various kinds of neuropathy, focal neuropathy is the second most common type for people to have and yet most people do not know much about it.
If you have been diagnosed with focal neuropathy, it can help to know what to expect. Let us look at the causes, signs, symptoms, and how to manage pain.
Causes of Focal Neuropathy
Focal neuropathy, like other kinds of neuropathy, is caused by high levels of blood sugar sustained over a long period of time. Unlike other kinds of diabetic neuropathy, focal neuropathy affects a particular set of nerves. Some common issues someone with this kind of neuropathy may have are carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy.
Over time, high levels of blood sugar, as well as high levels of fat, can damage nerves and the small blood vessels that feed your nerves. All of this causes focal neuropathy.
Signs and Symptoms
Commonly, diabetic neuropathy can involve entrapment. Entrapment involves trapped nerves that start with mild symptoms and get worse over time.
Some examples of entrapment are carpal tunnel causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your hands, as well as peroneal entrapment, which causes pain on the outside of your lower leg.
There are focal neuropathies that do not involve entrapment. These can present themselves with pain in your hands, feet, torso, or leg, depending on the affected area. If you have cranial neuropathies you may experience double vision, pain behind one eye, problem focusing your eyes, and even paralysis in part of your face.
Managing Pain
There are different options your doctor may choose to treat neuropathic pain. The underlying cause of the pain will have a big impact on the treatment.
One option that more doctors are turning to is stem cells for nerve damage. It is an alternative to surgery that shows promise when treating neuropathy. Your doctor will assess if the type of neuropathy and what nerves it affects will benefit from stem cell treatments.
Your doctor can also try to control your blood sugar levels, either with drastic lifestyle changes or medication. If there are alcohol concerns, they will also recommend the removal of that from your diet. They may also turn to anti-inflammation medication to reduce nerve and myelin damage.
Surgery may also be an option to release compression when dealing with carpal tunnel or ulnar neuropathy.
Get Relief From Diabetic Neuropathy
If you are dealing with focal neuropathy, there are various treatment options you and your doctor can explore. Options like stem cell treatments are new and promising while medications can help lower blood sugar levels and inflammation. Why live with neuropathic pain when there are many ways to get relief?
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