Nerve Damage

Keeping your blood sugar in control can lower your chances of getting neuropathy; that people with high blood sugar are more likely to have neuropathy; and that the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to have neuropathy.

There are several theories about how blood sugar affects nerves. One theory is that sugar coats the proteins in the nerves and that the sugar-coated proteins no longer function normally.

Another theory is that high blood-sugar levels interfere with chemical events in the nerves, and possibly even damage the insulation layer of cells around the nerves.

Or, it might be that high blood-sugar levels damage the tiny blood vessels that supply the nerves, cutting them off from oxygen and nutrients.

Researchers are working to understand the causes of neuropathy and to find treatments to avoid the damage it causes.