Diabetes is a problem that affects millions of Americans each year, and is considered to be a minor problem for most. However, diabetes can cause damage to your autonomic nervous system which could result in various more serious problems.
How can diabetes damage to the autonomic nerves affect me?
1. Damage to the autonomic nerves can make it hard for them to feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Autonomic nerves help you know your blood glucose is low. Some people take diabetes medicines that can accidentally make their blood glucose too low, so it is a problem all around. However, this kind of damage is more likely to happen if you have had diabetes for a long time. It can also happen if your blood glucose has been too low very often.
2. Damage to the autonomic nerves that go to the stomach, intestines, and other parts of the digestive system, can make food pass through the digestive system too slowly or too quickly. Such problems can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea. This type of nerve damage is called gastroparesis. When nerves to the stomach are damaged, the muscles of the stomach do not work well and food may stay in the stomach too long. Another side effect is that if you have gastroparesis it may be hard to keep blood glucose under control.
3. Autonomic nerves also go to the penis in men, thus if you have damage to these nerves from diabetes or otherwise, it can prevent a man’s penis from getting firm when he wants to have sex. This condition is called erectile dysfunction or impotence.
4. Autonomic nerves go to the vagina. Damage to these nerves prevents a woman’s vagina from getting wet when she wants to have sex. A woman might also have less feeling around her vagina, thus sex is uncomfortable, and unpleasant.
5. Autonomic nerves go to the heart. Damage to these nerves might make your heart beat faster or at different speeds, which can result in various heart problems.
6. Autonomic nerves go to the bladder. Damage can make it hard to know when you should go to the bathroom, so you may hold urine for too long, which can lead to bladder infections. Another problem can be leaking drops of urine accidentally, which can be very embarrassing.
7. Autonomic nerves go to the blood vessels that keep your blood pressure steady. Damage to these nerves makes your blood move too slowly to keep your blood pressure steady when you change position. When you go from lying down to standing up or when you exercise a lot, the sudden changes in blood pressure can make you dizzy. These problems may lead to heart disease or other serious blood related problems.
What can I do to prevent diabetes from damaging my nervous system?
Research has shown that people who kept their blood glucose close to normal were able to lower their risk of nerve damage. So, if nothing else, keep your diabetes under control through your diet, and other means.
So, obviously damage to the autonomic nervous system because of diabetes is not something you want, so what else can you do about it? Here are some suggestions of things you can do to prevent nerve damage:
– Keep your blood glucose as close to normal as you can.
– Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
– Don’t smoke.
– Take care of your feet
– Tell your doctor about any problems you have with
i. your hands, arms, feet, and legs
ii. your stomach, bowels, or bladder
– Also tell your doctor if you:
i. have problems when you have sex
ii. cannot always tell when your blood glucose is too low
iii. feel dizzy when you go from lying down to sitting or standing
Every person is different, so have your doctor diagnosis your diabetes and the risk of nerve damage.