Nerves and Feet in Type 1

Nerve damage from diabetes usually takes years to appear, which makes it easy to treat as a problem for later. In Type 1, diagnosed young, later arrives in adulthood — and the habits that protect you are the ones built early.

The danger of nerve damage is not the numbness itself. It is that injuries stop hurting. A stone inside a chappal, a blister, a small cut, a burn from hot floor tiles — all of these get noticed and dealt with when sensation is normal. With reduced feeling they can go unnoticed for days.

So the habit is a daily look at your feet: tops, soles, between the toes, and heels. Use a mirror or ask someone if you cannot see the soles. You are looking for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or anything that has changed.

Your care team should examine your feet at every visit. Ask if it is not offered — it is easy to skip when the appointment is about insulin doses.

Neuropathy was recorded in 3.0% of one Indian childhood diabetes cohort — lower than eye and kidney changes, and the one where daily habits make the most difference.