How do you know if diabetes is affecting your legs?

Your feet and legs are often affected first, followed by your hands and arms. Possible signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include: Numbness or reduced ability to feel pain or temperature changes, especially in your feet and toes. A tingling or burning feeling.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org

What are the symptoms of diabetes in legs?

What are the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy? The most common symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are numbness, tingling, a burning feeling, aching, cramps and weakness. Symptoms often begin in their feet or hands. These symptoms may later spread to their legs and arms.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthdirect.gov.au

How can you tell if you have leg pain from diabetes?

Peripheral neuropathy
  1. Numbness or reduced ability to feel pain or temperature changes.
  2. Tingling or burning feeling.
  3. Sharp pains or cramps.
  4. Muscle weakness.
  5. Extreme sensitivity to touch — for some people, even a bedsheet's weight can be painful.
  6. Serious foot problems, such as ulcers, infections, and bone and joint damage.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org

Will diabetic leg pain go away?

But when it comes to leg pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the damage is usually permanent and irreversible. This is why blood sugar control, weight management, and other preventative treatment is so important.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on arizonapain.com

Can diabetes cause difficulty walking?

Chronically elevated blood sugars can also damage nerves that tell muscles how to move. This can lead to muscle weakness. You may have difficulty walking or getting up from a chair. You may have difficulty grabbing things or carrying things with your hands.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com

Diabetics and Leg Problems

30 related questions found

Can type 2 diabetes cause weakness in the legs?

“Therefore, people with diabetes not only have smaller muscles capable of producing lower forces, but their lower leg muscles are also infiltrated by fat, which causes a further reduction in the force that can be produced, compounding their weakness.”

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on diabetes.co.uk

Can diabetes cause sudden leg weakness?

Focal neuropathy can attack any nerve in the body and often causes sudden weakness. Peripheral neuropathy, the most common diabetic complication, can cause numbness or pain in the legs, feet, toes, arms, and hands. Proximal neuropathy may cause weakness in your legs and pain in your hips, buttocks, and thighs.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on everydayhealth.com

Can you fix diabetic legs?

Diabetic neuropathy has no known cure. The goals of treatment are to: Slow progression. Relieve pain.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org

What are 3 things you should never do to the feet of someone with diabetes?

Don'ts
  • 1 ) Don't use heating pads. Heating pads, electric blankets, hot water bottles, or even extremely hot baths can all be relaxing and soothing, but for someone with diabetes, they can be dangerous. ...
  • 2 ) Don't remove corns on your own. ...
  • 3 ) Get your feet wet in snow or rain.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bhamfoot.com

When should I be worried about leg pain?

Sometimes, leg pain can signal something more serious like a fracture, deep vein thrombosis or compartment syndrome. Seek medical attention urgently if: the leg is swollen. it looks deformed or you can't use it properly.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthdirect.gov.au

Where is diabetic leg pain located?

Proximal neuropathy (diabetic polyradiculopathy)

Symptoms are usually on one side of the body, though in some cases symptoms may spread to the other side, too. Most people improve at least partially over 6 to 12 months. This condition is often marked by symptoms including: Severe pain in the buttock, hip or thigh.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org

What is the life expectancy of a Type 2 diabetic?

People With Diabetes Can Live Longer by Meeting Their Treatment Goals. Life expectancy can be increased by 3 years or in some cases as much as 10 years. At age 50, life expectancy- the number of years a person is expected to live- is 6 years shorter for people with type 2 diabetes than for people without it.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cdc.gov

How do you treat diabetic legs?

How Should a Diabetic Foot Ulcer Be Treated?
  1. Prevention of infection.
  2. Taking the pressure off the area, called “off-loading”
  3. Removing dead skin and tissue, called “debridement”
  4. Applying medication or dressings to the ulcer.
  5. Managing blood glucose and other health problems.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on uofmhealth.org

How can diabetics improve their legs?

Walking: Take a brisk daily walk of 1/2 - 1 hour. Try to increase the distance every day. Staircase exercise: Walk briskly up a flight of stairs using only the balls of the feet. Stretching the calf muscles: Lean with the palms of your hands against a wall.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sa1s3.patientpop.com

Why do my legs hurt with type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes can cause leg soreness and pain. Over time, high blood sugar damages the nerves around your muscles. This nerve damage is called “diabetic neuropathy.” Diabetic neuropathy causes diabetic leg pain and soreness, which can make it hard for you to walk and stay active.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on goodrx.com

What is diabetic belly?

But that doesn't mean abdominal weight gain should be ignored. It can be an early sign of so-called "diabetic belly," a build-up of visceral fat in your abdomen which may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and can increase your chances of developing other serious medical conditions.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on virtahealth.com

What do diabetic feet look like?

Dry, cracked skin on your feet. A change in the color and temperature of your feet. Thickened, yellow toenails. Fungus infections such as athlete's foot between your toes.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cdc.gov

What foods make diabetes worse?

10 foods to avoid if you have diabetes
  • Processed meats. ...
  • Full-fat dairy products. ...
  • Packaged snacks and processed baked goods. ...
  • White carbohydrates. ...
  • Sweetened breakfast cereals. ...
  • Dried fruits. ...
  • French fries. ...
  • Higher-fat cuts of meat.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on diabetescarecommunity.ca

Is walking good for diabetic legs?

Walking is one of the easiest activities to start with, and most people with diabetes can do it. The risk of injury is low, and even people with diabetes complications can usually walk for exercise. (Check with your health care provider if you have a foot injury, open sore, or ulcer.)

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on diabetes.org

Why do diabetics lose their legs first?

Because of reduced blood flow, wounds may be slow to heal or not heal at all. As a result, tissue can become damaged, and an infection can develop and spread to the bones. Once this happens, amputation is often the only option to prevent more damage.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on footdoc.org

What are the first signs of neuropathy in your feet?

The main symptoms can include:
  • numbness and tingling in the feet or hands.
  • burning, stabbing or shooting pain in affected areas.
  • loss of balance and co-ordination.
  • muscle weakness, especially in the feet.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on nhsinform.scot

What are 10 warning signs of diabetes?

Here are 10 subtle signs of diabetes:
  • Frequent urination. Most people urinate four to seven times in a day. ...
  • Excessive thirst. ...
  • Extreme hunger. ...
  • Weakness/fatigue. ...
  • Pins and needles. ...
  • Blurry vision. ...
  • Itchy skin. ...
  • Slow healing wounds and increased skin infections.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wayneunc.org

What are signs of diabetic hands?

On the hands, you'll notice tight, waxy skin on the backs of your hands. The fingers can become stiff and difficult to move. If diabetes has been poorly controlled for years, it can feel like you have pebbles in your fingertips. Hard, thick, and swollen-looking skin can spread, appearing on the forearms and upper arms.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aad.org

Why do my legs feel weak and shaky diabetes?

A headache that comes on quickly, weakness or tremor in your arms or legs, and a slight trembling of your body are also signs that your blood sugar is too low. To get back to a more normal sugar level, eat something with sugar, such as pure glucose in the form of tablets or gel, for example.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthcentral.com