I'm comfortable in my own skin, no matter how far it has stretched.
-- Dolly Parton
Every now and then I notice that I'll be itching and itching and itching. I tend to scratch away until I finally notice I've left red spots on my skin that usually turn into little scabs or red areas.
I tend to itch on my hands, legs and, as of recently, my wrists. Before I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic I don't think I ever really paid attention, but now that I've had the disease awhile and am familiar with the symptoms and signs, I wish I would have seen it coming.
According to information I found on the website of the American Academy of Dermatology (aad.org), there are about 12 warning signs of diabetes that can appear on the skin.
1. Necrobiosis lipidica is a medical condition that often begins as small, raised, solid bumps that start out looking like pimples. As it progresses, the bumps turn into patches of swollen and hard skin. The surrounding skin has a shiny, porcelain-like appearance; you can see blood vessels, and the skin is itchy and painful. The disease goes through cycles where it is active, inactive and then active again.
2. Acanthosis nigricans can be a sign of prediabetes. A dark patch or band of velvety skin on the back of the neck, armpit, groin or elsewhere could mean that there is too much insulin in our blood.
3. Digital sclerosis is a medical condition that develops on the fingers, toes or both. On the backs of the hands you may notice tight, waxy skin, and the fingers can become stiff and difficult to move. Hard, thick or swollen-looking skin can spread to the arms, the upper back, shoulders and neck, and possibly onto the face.
This often develops in people who have complications due to diabetes or whose diabetes is difficult to treat.
4. While it's not very common, diabetics could see blisters on the hands, feet, legs or forearms. Unlike a burn, these blisters are not painful. The medical name is bullosis diabetricorum.
5. Skin infections can be hot, swollen and painful. These can be an itchy rash, tiny blisters, dry scaly skin or a white discharge.
6. Diabetic ulcers are open wounds that can develop if you've had uncontrolled diabetes for a long time. Poor circulation and nerve damage can make it hard for your body to heal wounds, especially on the feet.
7. Diabetic dermopathy are spots that create barely noticeable depressions in the skin. They typically form on the shins, but in rare cases could show up on the arms, thighs, trunk or other body areas. They are often mistaken for age spots, but while age spots fade, diabetic dermopathy can stay on the skin indefinitely.
8. Eruptive xanthamatosis are small yellowish bumps on the buttocks, thighs, crooks of the elbows or backs of the knees. They are usually tender and itchy. This condition appears when you have uncontrolled diabetes.
9. Granuloma annulare, rings of bumps, are associated with diabetes, but most people with this condition do not have diabetes.
10. Diabetics are more likely to have dry skin caused by high blood sugar. Infections and poor circulation can contribute to the problem. Better glucose control can help, but if it won't go away, a dermatologist may be able to help.
11. Xanthelasma is a condition that develops due to high fat levels in the blood or because of poorly controlled diabetes. It consists of yellowish scaly patches that develop on and around the eyelids. Better glucose control can clear it up.
12. Skin tags are growths that hang from a thin stalk, and they are rather unattractive. They are common in older people, but numerous tags can be a sign that there is too much insulin in the blood or that you have Type 2.
The takeaway in all this is that diabetes can cause skin problems. Most are harmless, but even a minor one can become serious in people with diabetes. When in doubt check it out.
Email me at:
rboggs@arkansasonline.com
Style on 10/08/2018