Medical professionals have highlighted a lesser-known diabetes symptom that can affect the feet. The NHS says peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage in the body's extremities—has diabetes as its leading cause. If you notice numbness in your feet, or in your hands, arms, or legs, it could be a sign of diabetes.
What causes peripheral neuropathy?
Neuropathy can also be triggered by other medical conditions and certain medications. When no cause can be identified, it is known as idiopathic neuropathy. Diabetic polyneuropathy is the term used when peripheral neuropathy results from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. According to the NHS, high blood sugar levels may damage the small blood vessels that nourish the nerves.
Other possible causes include long-term excessive alcohol consumption, a lack of vitamin B12 or other vitamins, and physical damage to nerves from an injury or surgery. An underactive thyroid gland, chronic liver or kidney disease, and infections such as shingles, Lyme disease, diphtheria, botulism and HIV can also raise the risk.
Certain cancers, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and other forms of hereditary motor sensory neuropathy—genetic conditions that particularly affect the feet—can contribute as well. Abnormal proteins in the blood, elevated toxin levels in the body, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that can cause paralysis within days, are additional factors.
Other common diabetes signs
The most widely recognised symptoms of diabetes include persistent thirst, needing to urinate more often, unexplained weight loss and extreme fatigue.
