Axonal Neuropathy is a very generic term that describes a large number of different conditions that affect and damage the nerves. Axonal neuropathy is a condition where the nerve cells begin to malfunction and act abnormally because the axons are slowly degenerating. This particular form of neuropathy can develop in either an acute form or chronic and is often referred to as axonal peripheral neuropathy as well. As someone with diabetes, you need to know that diabetes is one of the most common causes of axonal neuropathy and learning the symptoms and warning signs can help you prevent this serious condition before it develops.

Warning Signs when looking for Axonal Neuropathy

• Loss of feeling in limbs (arms, legs and feet)
• Tingling sensation
• Burning
• Weakness
• Numbness
• Loss of motor skill

Just as with many other neuropathy conditions the warning signs can appear in different combinations and this is directly related to the type of damage that has already been done to your nervous system. One of these symptoms alone is not enough to diagnose axonal neuropathy but a combination of at least 2 creates enough curiosity for your physician to administer the proper tests to find out for sure, especially if you are diabetic.

Tingling and burning are often the earliest symptoms of this neuropathic condition but as you can imagine these symptoms can be attributed to a number of different conditions which makes it hard to detect axonal neuropathy early on without additional symptoms to pair it with. Because this neuropathic condition is secondary to diabetes your main goal should always be maintaining and keeping your diabetes under control. When your blood glucose levels reach out of control levels or are constantly going up and down you are putting your body at risk.

Because diabetes has become such a common condition, people are slowly but surely forgetting just how serious this disease can become. Lifestyle changes are essential to ensure you do not put yourself at further risk of neuropathic conditions as the one mentioned above. Diabetes is a chronic condition and one that is not curable so you have to do the work to control your disease through your diet, exercise and testing your blood glucose levels several times a day. All it takes is a few weeks of out of control levels to create a recipe for complications.

Axonal neuropathy is becoming more and more common in diabetics who do not take care of themselves and a simple case of diabetes quickly turns into a life or death situation.