Dermatoses Associated with Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus or diabetes is a disease caused by your pancreas’s inability to produce enough insulin. As a result, there is insulin resistance in your body. Diabetes is a complex disease that can affect every part of your body. Diabetes can affect your heart, kidneys, liver, nerves and even skin. According to experts, a large number of diabetic patients will have to face diabetes skin problemsduring their lifetime. Diabetes skin symptomsare also a warning sign of hidden diabetes.

How Diabetes Affects Skin

Diabetes skin problems can be treated or even prevented if diagnosed early. Most diabetic skin symptoms are caused by bacterial infections. If you suffer from diabetes mellitus, you can have skin problems such as necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic dermopathy, and diabetic blisters. Excessive sugar makes your body pull the fluid from cells. This results in frequent urination to pass out the excess sugar, leading to dry skin (xerosis). High sugar leads to damaged nerves, which causes diabetes and itchy skin.  Excessive dry skin causes small openings in your skin, which provides easy access to germs and infections.

Common Skin Conditions Linked to Diabetes

Excess glucose in your blood makes your body more susceptible to infections. If your blood sugar levels are not controlled, they might lead to serious skin complications. The common skin conditions linked to diabetes are bacterial infections, fungal infections, itching, vitiligo, skin changes due to diabetic neuropathy, allergic reaction to insulin, and diabetic blisters. Most diabetic skin symptoms can be treated if diagnosed in the early stages.

Bacterial Infections

Staphylococcus is a common diabetes skin infectioncaused by bacteria build up in the hair follicles. When you have uncontrolled sugar, your hair follicles might get irritated, causing inflamed boils or bumps. Other bacterial infections are styes, carbuncles, and nail infections.

Fungal Infections

Fungal infections or diabetes skin rash occur in the moist areas of your skin, especially in the skin folds. Diabetes skin rash can have blisters or scales around them. They are red with yeast build up in the skin folds. Fungal infections are common if your blood glucose levels are excessively high.

Itching or Pruritus

Diabetes itchy skin is a common problem in diabetic patients. It can be caused by several factors like excessive dry skin, yeast infection or poor blood circulation. If itching or pruritus appears on your lower legs, it is caused by poor blood circulation. You can apply skin lotions to keep the skin moist and prevent itching.

Vitiligo

Skin vitiligo is more common in people with type 1 diabetes. Vitiligo affects skin colour. The cells that produce melanin(the substance that provides colour to your skin) get destroyed. You develop a patch of discoloured skin. The discoloured patches mostly appear on your chest and stomach. But they can also appear on your face, mouth and eyes.

Skin Changes due to Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a condition when excessive sugar in your body damages the nerves. It might lead to serious skin problems, especially in your feet. It might lead to ulcers and diabetic skin lesions. Diabetic neuropathy also leads to dry skin that gradually cracks and leads to bacterial and fungal infections. It is difficult to treat a diabetic skin lesiononce it becomes severe.

Allergic Reactions to Insulin

Diabetic patients might also suffer from allergic reactions to insulin. Allergic reactions to insulin are mostly restricted to your skin. They appear as red blotches on your skin. You might also develop hives at the injection site. There might be a rash on your whole body. Insulin allergies can be treated with topical steroid medication such as hydrocortisone.

Diabetic Blisters

Also known as BullosisDiabeticorun, diabetic blisters develop in diabetic patients with diabetic neuropathy. They are mostly painless but large. They occur on the top or sides of your lower legs or feet. The blisters might also occur on your hands and forearms. Diabetic blisters can be treated by lowering your sugar levels.

Skin Care Tips When You Have Diabetes

You can follow certain skin care tips to avoid skin problems with diabetes:

• You should regularly inspect your skin, especially the skin folds. Keep an eye on cuts, redness, scrapes, and blisters.
• For itchy skin diabetes treatment, keep your skin well moisturised. If your skin is excessively dry, try bath oils instead of soap.
• Keep the folds of your skin, especially under the breast and groin area, dry. Fungal infections occur in moist areas.
• Use a moisturising soap instead of deodorant soaps. Use soaps only when needed.
• Keep the areas in between your toes sparkly clean and dry.

Conclusion

If you are a diabetic patient, your skin needs special care and treatment. Apart from daily skin care at home, you should also see your diabetes specialist regularly. Your doctor will guide you with various skin care routines. You should not neglect minor cuts, blisters or rashes if you are diabetic. Even itchy skin diabetes treatment is essential in the early stages.

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