Stuart Leder, MD
Diabetes and Neurological Processes
Our guest speaker, Stuart Leder, MD, discussed the neurological issues diabetics face. His presentation was very informative and made us understand a lot more about our nervous system.
Dr. Leder talked about what happens when your glucose gets above 130. The sugars in your blood begins to crystallize, causing solids that will block smaller capillaries, restricting blood flow to cells, causing them to die. He explained how sugar crystallizes in your blood just like it would in a glass of water. The first sugar added would dissolve easily; but after awhile it sits on the bottom of the glass. If you shake it, it will dissolve, but when you keep adding sugar past the saturation point, no more sugar can dissolve and you have visible solids that will stay that way.
Sugars pass through the larger arteries and block the smaller capillaries. The smallest vessels are in certain organs like your brain, heart, skin (toes and fingers) kidneys, and retina. These are the same organs that diabetics have problems with. When the cells in these organs are deprived of blood due to blockages, problems occur.
The smallest arteries in the brain area in the center of the brain. This is the area where diabetes is going to cause problems. Blood flow blockage causes brain cells to die and brain cells do not regenerate. This is the definition of a ‘stroke’. We are born with 100% brain capacity; 70% is needed, 30% is fluff (cushion). People can have ‘silent strokes’ and not know it. Scarring will show in a scan. If the damage is in the 30% cushion, it probably won’t be noticed, but once you exceed that, visible signs will occur. The area in the deep part of the brain helps you generate your momentum and quickness. You could 1) become slower walking, begin shuffling 2) lose control of your bladder over time, and 3) begin experiencing recent memory loss.
Diabetes can affect all 3 nervous systems: 1) central nervous system (central brain & spinal cord), 2) peripheral nervous system (other nerves that go to and from the central nervous system), and autonomic nervous system (regulates your heart rate, tears, and bladder control).
Damage to the peripheral nervous system can cause numbness, tingling, and burning of the feet and hands. This also will put you at more of a risk for Bells Palsy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Radial Nerve Palsy, Meralgia paresthetica (thigh), shingles, double vision, and weakness (your eyes work in parallel—ocular cranial neuropathy—one is weaker and it skews leaving you with 2 images.
Blurred vision is common in diabetics. they can develop 1) cataracts which is when the lens has fluid with crystals causing lens to harden, 2) diabetic retinopathy which is when the blood vessels are blocked or bleed (microscopic hemmoraging), or 3) retinal thrombosis which is blood clots in the eyes.
Dr. Leder discussed the treatments for the above complications. There’s too much to type here, but the common factors that I see are normalizing the sugars in our bodies, treating the symptoms with the required medications, and he stressed the importance of reducing the risk factors with diet and exercise.
An interesting side conversation involved sleep apnea. When one is unable to expel the carbon dioxide toxins properly while sleeping, poisons stay in our body to cause difficulties in the control of diabetes hindering your blood sugar levels and Glycemic control. So if you have sleep apnea, it may behoove you to discuss it with your doctor. Every little thing you do to reduce your risk factors will help you live a healthier life!
Dr. Leder talked about what happens when your glucose gets above 130. The sugars in your blood begins to crystallize, causing solids that will block smaller capillaries, restricting blood flow to cells, causing them to die. He explained how sugar crystallizes in your blood just like it would in a glass of water. The first sugar added would dissolve easily; but after awhile it sits on the bottom of the glass. If you shake it, it will dissolve, but when you keep adding sugar past the saturation point, no more sugar can dissolve and you have visible solids that will stay that way.
Sugars pass through the larger arteries and block the smaller capillaries. The smallest vessels are in certain organs like your brain, heart, skin (toes and fingers) kidneys, and retina. These are the same organs that diabetics have problems with. When the cells in these organs are deprived of blood due to blockages, problems occur.
The smallest arteries in the brain area in the center of the brain. This is the area where diabetes is going to cause problems. Blood flow blockage causes brain cells to die and brain cells do not regenerate. This is the definition of a ‘stroke’. We are born with 100% brain capacity; 70% is needed, 30% is fluff (cushion). People can have ‘silent strokes’ and not know it. Scarring will show in a scan. If the damage is in the 30% cushion, it probably won’t be noticed, but once you exceed that, visible signs will occur. The area in the deep part of the brain helps you generate your momentum and quickness. You could 1) become slower walking, begin shuffling 2) lose control of your bladder over time, and 3) begin experiencing recent memory loss.
Diabetes can affect all 3 nervous systems: 1) central nervous system (central brain & spinal cord), 2) peripheral nervous system (other nerves that go to and from the central nervous system), and autonomic nervous system (regulates your heart rate, tears, and bladder control).
Damage to the peripheral nervous system can cause numbness, tingling, and burning of the feet and hands. This also will put you at more of a risk for Bells Palsy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Radial Nerve Palsy, Meralgia paresthetica (thigh), shingles, double vision, and weakness (your eyes work in parallel—ocular cranial neuropathy—one is weaker and it skews leaving you with 2 images.
Blurred vision is common in diabetics. they can develop 1) cataracts which is when the lens has fluid with crystals causing lens to harden, 2) diabetic retinopathy which is when the blood vessels are blocked or bleed (microscopic hemmoraging), or 3) retinal thrombosis which is blood clots in the eyes.
Dr. Leder discussed the treatments for the above complications. There’s too much to type here, but the common factors that I see are normalizing the sugars in our bodies, treating the symptoms with the required medications, and he stressed the importance of reducing the risk factors with diet and exercise.
An interesting side conversation involved sleep apnea. When one is unable to expel the carbon dioxide toxins properly while sleeping, poisons stay in our body to cause difficulties in the control of diabetes hindering your blood sugar levels and Glycemic control. So if you have sleep apnea, it may behoove you to discuss it with your doctor. Every little thing you do to reduce your risk factors will help you live a healthier life!