It is very frustrating to find out that some complications of diabetes are not understood at all. If they are not understood how can they be treated?
First off there are TWO kinds of neuropathy
1. Sensory neuropathy often referred to as plain neuropathy (WHICH IS WRONG) since neuropathy is a generic term and not specific.
2. Autonomic Neuropathy which nobody understands and therefore people just ignore.
Add to this the fact that sensory neuropathy has symptoms while autonomic neuropathy has NO symptoms and the situation is ripe for neglect.
Sensory neuropathy can be felt in the extremities of the arms and legs and therefore there is a symptom that people think they can treat.
Autonomic neuropathy is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that does its work of running the internals of the body ( like controlling the eyes, the heart, the lungs, sweating, the sexual organs and so on) like an unsung hero. This works involuntarily without you even knowing it hence the autonomic nervous system is an unsung hero. When this system has a problem, it continues uncomplainingly (hence no symptoms) until it cannot anymore and then one of the organs that it controls gets damaged. Then there are symptoms of the affected organ. By then it is too late and one has to treat the affected organ (usually the heart). The diabetic may then suffer a "silent" heart attack. Silent because there are no chest pains associated with this heart attack (due to autonomic nervous system problems). The diabetic goes to sleep at night and does not wake up in the morning.
Autonomic neuropathy is so serious that the American Diabetic Association has recommended (since Jan 2006) that testing for autonomic neuropathy be done AS SOON AS Type 2 diabetes is detected and repeated annually if the results are negative.
The fact of the matter is no doctor carries out this testing, even though instruments are now available ( ANSiscope from Dyansys) to perform this testing.
The empowered patient must put his/her foot down and demand this testing and treatment.
In the words of a doctor "sensory neuropathy will cause the loss of a limb, autonomic neuropathy will cause the loss of a life."
So, T1 and T2 diabetics wake up! Ask for this test to be performed.
