Michael O. Schroeder, U.S. News & World Report
10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Nerve Pain
Is diabetes or prediabetes the cause of my nerve pain?
The leading cause of nerve pain today – and specifically chronic peripheral neuropathy – is diabetes. High blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage, undermining the nerves’ ability to send signals and function properly.
“At least half of individuals with diabetes have neuropathy,” says Feldman. Those who have high blood sugar that isn’t yet full-blown diabetes, but instead the precursor prediabetes, also have an elevated risk. “About 30% of people with prediabetes have neuropathy,” Feldman notes.
Today, more than 30 million adults in the U.S. have diabetes, and about 84 million have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, being obese raises a person’s risk for nerve pain and diabetes.
