High blood glucose levels can cause nerve damage over time. This serious condition is called diabetic neuropathy and is one complication of diabetes mellitus. People with diabetes often experience the effects of nerve damage due to elevated blood sugar, especially if their blood glucose levels are not well-controlled. It is thought that high blood glucose causes nerve damage because it damages the blood vessels that supply blood to the nerves and also prevents nerves from sending sensory information.

Peripheral neuropathy is one of four types of neuropathy than can affect diabetic patients. This type of nerve damage affects the legs and feet and, less commonly, the arms and hands. Symptoms include muscle weakness, impaired balance, decreased reflexes, and numbness. 

Limited Motion and Balance

Peripheral neuropathy can cause motor impairments, which affect the ability to balance. Dulled reflexes, especially in the ankle, hinders reactions to internal and external forces at work during locomotion. Changes in sensitivity make it difficult to find your footing and react to surface changes. The combined effects of numbness and decreased balance and reflexes often result in an increase in falls and foot and ankle injuries. According to the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, people with diabetes and are older than 65 have a much greater chance of falling than younger, non-diabetic people--17 times more likely to be exact. 

Falls and Injuries due to Nerve Damage

Changes in reflexes, balance, and tactile sensory perception not only make patients more unsteady on their feet but also causes changes to their normal gait in order to compensate for nerve damage. The mechanics of an abnormal gait can cause foot and ankle problems over time as the body tries to accommodate for the nerve damage. In addition, due to numbness and lack of pain perception from neuropathy, people with diabetic nerve damage may not realize they have injured their foot or ankle and continue to walk on it, causing further injury.

Complications of Foot and Ankle Injuries

People with diabetes often have a more difficult time healing from injuries. Because these patients have an increased risk of injury coupled with a longer, more complicated recovery, many people become less inclined to stay active. Patients may become more sedentary to avoid the risk of falling or incurring foot or ankle injuries. Decreased mobility also has negative consequences for diabetic patients who may become less independent and more likely to require an assisted living or nursing facility. Decreased mobility is also associated with higher mortality rates in diabetic patients. 

To learn more, contact a local ankle care doctor today.