🐝 Education, not medical advice — and we show our work. Every fact links to NIDDK. For anything about your own nerves or feet, confirm with your clinician.
Diabetic Neuropathy, Sourced: What It Is, the Warning Signs, and How to Slow It
Last reviewed 2026-06-20 · Source: U.S. NIDDK (NIH) · This is the "why" behind daily foot care.
What it is
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that can occur in people with diabetes. Over time, high blood glucose and high levels of blood fats (triglycerides) can damage the nerves.
Peripheral neuropathy — the most common; affects the feet and legs first, sometimes the hands and arms. About one-third to one-half of people with diabetes have it.
Autonomic neuropathy — damages nerves that control internal organs (heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, bladder, sexual function, sweat glands). It can also cause hypoglycemia unawareness — not feeling the usual warning signs of low blood sugar.
Focal neuropathies — damage to a single nerve, often in the hand, head, torso, or leg; carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common.
Proximal neuropathy — a rarer, disabling type in the hip, buttock, or thigh, usually on one side; symptoms often improve over months to years.
Peripheral neuropathy can cause pain, tingling, or loss of feeling in the feet. When you can't feel your feet, you may not notice a blister, cut, or pebble — which is exactly why a daily foot check matters so much.
The main drivers are high blood glucose and high blood fats over time. Keeping your blood glucose in the range your clinician sets is the central way to help prevent or slow nerve damage.
Talk to your care team about your blood glucose and blood pressure targets, and tell them about new numbness, pain, or changes in how your feet feel — those are reasons to be checked, not a diagnosis.