For anyone newly diagnosed with diabetes, learning about all of the possible complications can be a stressful experience. Depending on your access to treatment and current lifestyle habits, it can often feel like you are just counting down the days until you develop symptoms — causing many people to feel like they don’t have control over their health.
In order to provide some support to those in this situation, we have created this brief guide to exploring the timeline of developing diabetic neuropathy. Read more to learn how you can better identify problematic symptoms so that you can seek medical attention sooner rather than later.
When does peripheral neuropathy start with diabetes?
As one of the more common secondary health conditions to emerge from uncontrolled diabetes, peripheral neuropathy starts to develop sooner than many people realize.
Believed to be caused by chronic exposure to elevated blood glucose levels, symptoms of diabetic neuropathy emerge as damage interferes with the transmission of impulses from the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord and brain. While many people think that the disease begins when they first notice changes in the sensation of their feet and toes, the true onset of peripheral neuropathy actually occurs long before any symptoms can be felt. Because of this, pinpointing the specific time when the disease starts can be challenging, as the majority of patients do not seek medical attention for their neuropathy until they begin to experience symptoms.
How to know if you have diabetic neuropathy
During the early stages of being diagnosed with type II diabetes, many patients struggle to make the lifestyle adjustments needed to better control their blood glucose levels. The longer a person’s body is exposed to elevated blood sugar levels, the higher the risk of developing some level of nerve damage.
But, how do you know that you are experiencing diabetic neuropathy in the first place? While every patient experiences neuropathy differently, some of the most common early signs of diabetic neuropathy include:
- Minor numbness or tingling to the toes or feet that comes and goes
- Sharp pain or cramps
- Hypersensitivity to light touch (e.g., the bedsheet, socks, shoes, etc.)
- A burning sensation in the feet and lower extremities
- Increased difficulty moving around and poorer balance due to numbness
If you have experienced any of these symptoms, we highly recommend that you speak with your medical provider to discuss possible treatment options. Early detection of diabetic neuropathy is the best way to reduce the risk of aggressive disease progression, so be sure to monitor your symptoms closely and seek help when you need it!
Living with peripheral neuropathy — how Viasox can help
At Viasox, we understand that living with peripheral neuropathy can be incredibly challenging. With this in mind, we strive to create high-quality non-binding diabetic socks designed to offer improved comfort, extra support and padding, and antimicrobial benefits to make taking care of your feet easier than ever before.
When paired with other helpful treatment options like daily exercise and a balanced diet, Viasox diabetic socks can play a role in slowing down the progression of diabetic neuropathy. Made incredibly stretchy to accommodate a calf circumference of up to 30 inches, you can rest assured that our socks will not cause painful compression lines, no matter how long you wear them.
Available for single or bulk purchases from our online store, explore our entire collection of classic and bold patterned diabetic socks from the comfort of your own home. Order online today and experience hassle-free delivery worldwide.
For more information about our products or to receive additional support with your online order, please feel free to reach out to our team. We will get back to you as soon as we can!
