When you get diagnosed with diabetes, your life changes in an instant. Suddenly, watching what you eat and getting enough exercise isn’t just a suggestion – it’s a matter of life and death. If you don’t keep your blood sugar under control, you’re putting yourself at risk for developing serious health complications like heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.

Another health problem commonly associated with high blood sugar levels is nerve damage, also called neuropathy. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, 60-70 percent of those with diabetes will suffer some kind of nerve damage in their lifetime. In general, there are four different types of diabetes-related neuropathy, one of which is diabetic foot neuropathy.

Diabetic foot neuropathy happens when someone with diabetes beings to feel the toxic effects of high blood sugar levels in their feet. Patients report a wide range of warning signs from pain, to tingling, to feeling nothing at all. If you’ve experienced any of the diabetic foot neuropathy symptoms listed below, talk to your doctor immediately to implement a treatment plan.

Numbness

One symptom of diabetic foot neuropathy is losing feeling in your feet while walking or feeling like you’re wearing socks when you’re not.

Shooting pain

If you feel sharp, sudden pain or cramping in your feet, you may have diabetic foot neuropathy.

Loss of balance

Walking with a wobbly motion, loss of coordination, or even losing your balance can be the result of diabetic foot neuropathy.

Sores or blisters

If you discover mysterious sores or blisters on your feet that you can’t explain, you may be suffering from diabetic foot neuropathy.

Trouble sleeping

Because diabetic foot neuropathy often worsens at night, your feet may hurt so much that it’s difficult to fall and stay asleep.

The good news is that the symptoms of diabetic foot neuropathy are treatable. And, if you catch it early enough, you may even be able to reverse some of the nerve damage that has already been done.