One of the harmful things that diabetes does is to damage your nerves. One of the common complications associated with diabetes is damage to the nerves that allow you to feel sensations such as pain. This complication of diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy.

There are several ways that diabetes damages your nerves, but they all seem to be related to your blood sugar (glucose) level being too high for a long period of time.  Diabetes refers to a set of related diseases where your body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in your blood. (link to page Diabetes and Disability) Diabetic neuropathy is damage to your nerves that allow you to feel sensations.  As stated above, diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes.

There are four types of diabetic neuropathy. These are peripheral, autonomic, proximal and focal.

There are many different ways in which diabetic neuropathy may affect you. The effects that you experience will depend on the type of diabetic neuropathy that you have and the parts of your body that are affected.

Here are some of the effects that you may experience with peripheral, proximal and focal diabetic neuropathy. Peripheral diabetic neuropathy may cause pain, numbness, burning and tingling. Proximal diabetic neuropathy may affect you by causing pain in your hips, buttocks or thighs. Focal diabetic neuropathy may cause pain or muscle weakness in your head, torso or leg.

Autonomic diabetic neuropathy can affect your digestive system, blood vessels, male sex organs, female sex organs or your urinary system. Some of the signs and symptoms you may experience, depending on what area of your body is affected are:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Feeling of fullness after eating only a small amount\bloating
• Dizziness
• Low blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Blacking out when you stand up quickly
• Inability to have or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• Reduced or dry ejaculations
• Decrease in the number or lack or orgasms (women)
• Decrease in vaginal lubrication
• Incontinence
• Increased urination at night (nocturia)
• Inability to completely empty your bladder.

The effects caused by the different types of diabetic neuropathy can be debilitating. You may be disabled and unable to work because of this disorder.

If this is the case, you may need assistance. You or your loved one may need financial help.

Have you applied for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by diabetic neuropathy? Were you denied?

If you are thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, here is something for you to think about. People who are represented and assisted by a caring disability attorney like the one at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people without a lawyer.