Diabetes Management Resource Center - Kenya How high blood glucose causes damage to the nerves (# neuropathy ) Nerves are among the most unusual cells in your body. The nerve at the tip of your toe is made up of a whole bunch of tiny, thin, and very long cells that stretch all the way from the tip of your toe to the spinal cord in your back. So that single cell could be several feet long! That makes it vulnerable to damage from high blood glucose levels. If the glucose cannot be metabolized properly inside the nerves, a substance called # sorbitol can build up inside and cause the nerve to stop working properly. Nerves are a bit like electrical wires. Some are thicker than others; some are insulated, while others are bare. When the glucose level is too high for a number of years, the covering of those nerves (a substance called # myelin that acts like an insulating sheath around some of your nerves) can get damaged and may disappear. This makes it harder for the nerve cells to send signals so fast. They get “inflamed” and may start firing off signals on their own.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 07:27:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015