Although neuropathy is a very common problem for people who have diabetes, most people are neither aware of it nor inconvenienced by it.
The most important thing to remember is that, because neuropathy most commonly affects your feet, you must protect them from injury, which can occur when some feeling has been lost. This is why the annual medical check-up is so important. It allows your diabetes care team to spot any problems that you may be unaware of.
Good control of diabetes does reduce the progression of the nerve damage. Nevertheless, a few people do develop the more unpleasant problems described in this leaflet. These need specialist diagnosis and advice and, when the diagnosis has been made, help is always available.
Although neuropathy cannot be cured, there are many treatments available and, with the help of your diabetes care team, symptoms can be relieved and your quality of life greatly improved.