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Thanks to our present lifestyle, diabetes is becoming increasingly hard to avoid. Diabetes is becoming more prevalent among young people. Diabetes negatively impacts many of the organs in the body, negatively affecting your health. In addition to robbing you of your sight, diabetes affects your kidneys, other organs, as well as your skin. Diagnosing diabetes at an early age is therefore vital. Blood sugar levels can be detected by change in the skin, as well as some other indicators. Let’s explore these indicators in more detail.
An indication of diabetes
Frequent urination is caused by an increase in blood sugar. Dehydration is also caused by diabetes, as frequent urination reduces the body’s water level. Additionally, your skin becomes rough due to this. Aside from this, there are also skin signs that appear before diabetes is diagnosed, which indicate high blood sugar levels in the body. The symptoms of Pre-Diabetes are described here. In case you experience any of the following pre-diabetic symptoms, make an appointment with a doctor right away to avoid worsening your condition.
Here are 12 warning signs of diabetes that you can see on your skin:
1. Having patches of skin that are yellow, red, or brown
Necrobiosis Lipoidica
Small raised bumps can look like pimples when this skin condition first develops. It eventually turns into hard patches of swollen skin as it progresses. Yellow, reddish brown, or black patches are common.
Necrobiosis lipoidica is characterized by red, swollen, and hard patches on the legs
Additionally, you may notice:
- There is a shiny porcelain-like sheen to the skin surrounding the wound
- Blood vessels can be seen
- There is itching and pain on the skin
- Active, inactive, and active again are the stages of the skin disease
It is called necrobiosis lipoidica in medical terms.
2. Darker patches on the skin that feel velvety
It could mean that you have too much insulin in your blood if you notice a dark patch (or band) of velvety skin on the back of your neck, armpit, or groin. Prediabetes is often accompanied by this symptom. Besides acanthosis nigricans, it has a number of other names.
Acanthosis Nigricans (AN)
Causes darkened skin in the creases of the neck, it is an early sign of diabetes.
3. Skin that becomes hard and thickens
A condition called digital sclerosis develops when these symptoms appear on the fingers and toes together.
The backs of your hands have tight, waxy skin. It can become tough to move the fingers. It can feel like you have pebbles in your fingertips if your diabetes has been poorly controlled for years.
It can appear in the forearms and upper arms as hard, thick, and swollen skin. As well as the upper back and shoulders, it can develop on the neck as well. It is possible for the thickening skin to spread to the face, shoulders, and chest in some cases.
Some people also develop thickened skin over their knees, ankles, or elbows, making it difficult to straighten their legs, point their feet, or bend their arms. A thickened skin that resembles an orange peel often appears wherever it appears.
Most commonly, this skin problem occurs in people with diabetes complications or diabetics who cannot adequately manage their condition.
4. Blisters
Rarely, blisters can appear suddenly on the skin of people with diabetes. The blister may be large, or the blisters may be together, or both. It appears like blisters after a severe burn and appears usually on the hands, feet, legs or forearms. It is not painful to have these blisters, which are unlike those that form after a burn.
Having diabetes can cause large blisters on the skin, such as those seen here.
Bullosis diabetricorum is the medical name for this condition. Bullae can sometimes occur in diabetics.
5. Skin infections
Infections of the skin are common among diabetes patients. You may experience some of these symptoms if you have a skin infection:
- Skin that is hot and swollen and painful
- The skin may appear dry, scaly, itchy, blistered, or discharged white, with a cottage cheese-like appearance
Any part of the body can contract a skin infection, including between the toes, around the nails, and on the scalp.
If you haven’t had a period for a while, and do you get lots of yeast infections every year, is it because it’s been too long since your last period? If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, it’s possible that you have it.
6. Wounds and sores that are open
Blood sugar (glucose) control can be impaired by long-term high blood sugar levels. Diabetes that’s been poorly controlled (or uncontrolled) could result in these complications.
Your body can have a difficult time healing wounds if there is poor circulation or nerve damage. Afeet are a particularly sensitive area. Known as diabetic ulcers, these open wounds are caused by diabetes.
Diabetic foot problems
Check your feet for sores and open wounds every day if you have diabetes.
7. Shin spots
A barely visible depression in the skin is caused by spots (and sometimes lines). Diabetes patients are more likely to experience it. Diabetes dermopathy is known medically as diabetic dermopathy. Typically, a shin rash develops. Rarely, you might see it on the arms, legs, trunk, or elsewhere on your body.
A 55-year-old man with diabetes suffered from the symptoms of diabetic dermopathy for many years.
There are no symptoms associated with the brown spots. Consequently, they are often mistaken for wrinkles due to their appearance. It usually takes 18 to 24 months for these spots and lines to fade as opposed to age spots. The skin may also remain with diabetic dermopathy for years.
8. A reddish-yellow outbreak of small bumps over the body
This bump sometimes looks like a pimple when it appears. They quickly turn yellow, unlike pimples. These bumps are typically found on the buttocks, thighs, elbow crooks, or backs of the knees. It is possible for them to form anywhere.
Eruptive-xanthomatosis
Diabetes-related bumps are caused by a sudden change in blood sugar that makes them appear and disappear suddenly.
This bump sometimes looks like a pimple when it appears. They quickly turn yellow, unlike pimples. Bumps like these typically appear on the buttocks, thighs, elbow crooks, and backs of knees. It is possible for them to form anywhere. The lesions are typically tender and itchy wherever they appear. Eruptive xanthomatosis is the medical name for this skin condition.
9. Raised bumps of a reddish color
Diabetes may or may not be associated with this skin condition. Granulomas annulare do not usually lead to diabetes in most people. However, several studies have reported that patients with diabetes are at risk for this skin condition. A study found that diabetic people were most likely to experience granuloma annulare, even if the bumps crept up and down. Despite its sporadic nature, granuloma annulare may be a sign of diabetes in people who experience it periodically.
Granuloma annulare
This is a skin condition that causes bumps and patches that look like skin. They might also be red, pink, or purple.
10. Skin that is extremely dry and itchy
You are more likely to experience dry skin if you have diabetes. Sugar (glucose) can raise blood sugar levels. Dry, itchy skin may also be caused by skin infections and poor circulation.
11. Your eyelids and upper lids are covered with yellow-scaly patches
High levels of blood fats cause these conditions. Your diabetes may also be poorly controlled if you experience this symptom. Xanthelasma is a medical term for this condition.
12. Tags on the skin
A skin tag hangs from a stalk and is common among many people. A high number of skin tags is harmless, but it could indicate diabetes type 2 or excess insulin in the body.
Eyelids, necks, armpits, and groins are the most common sites for these growths.
When to seek dermatological care
Other skin problems can be caused by diabetes. Even a minor skin problem can become serious for people with diabetes, since they have a greater tendency to develop it. Diabetic patients may experience skin issues due to diabetes, which a dermatologist can manage.
