Hey there, viewers! Diabetes affects 11% of the US population. Of these, 28 million
people have been diagnosed, while the remaining 9 million people don’t even know they have it.
Diabetes affects several parts of your body, including your skin.
Bad skin is often a sign of very high blood sugar.
In today’s video, we’ll talk about diabetes warning sign taht appear on skin.
Are yellow skin patches a symptom? Do you have dark patches on your skin that feel like velvet?
What about blisters and skin infections? We’ll talk about all of these AND more…
Colored patches Any type of weird color on
your skin is terrifying. Especially when it just pops out of nowhere.
You spend so much time wondering if it’s a bruise, or something even worse.
For people suffering from diabetes, this is a reality every day.
Have you noticed yellow, red or brown patches on your skin? It could be a sign of diabetes.
These patches are formed due to a condition called necrobiosis
lipoidica (necro-bye-osis-lip-oyd-ikuh), which is almost exclusively found among diabetics.
Experts say this skin condition usually begins with small, pimple-like bumps.
With time, these bumps turn into hard skin patches that look swollen.
The patches can be reddish, brown, or yellow in color.
The skin surrounding these patches may look shiny like porcelain.
Sometimes, you can even see blood vessels. At this point, your skin will feel itchy.
Just try not to scratch it. This will only make things worse.
Usually, this skin condition fluctuates between active and inactive.
Thickening of the skin Do you feel like the skin
on your fingers and toes has hardened? It could be digital sclerosis (skluh·roh·suhs).
This condition can make the back of your hands look waxy and tight.
Over time, your fingers will get so stiff, it will be hard for them to even move.
If they go untreated for too long, digital sclerosis can make your fingertips feel like
they have pebbles in them. Slowly, with time, the hardness will spread to other parts of your body.
It may appear on your upper arms and forearms as well.
From there, it travels to your neck, shoulders, and upper back.
It’s rare for the skin on your knees, elbows, and ankles to thicken.
But it does happen if you’ve left your diabetes untreated for too long. As a result,
you’ll find it difficult to straighten your leg, bend your arm, or point your foot.
The thickening of your skin will usually be accompanied by an orange-like texture. So, what
should you do if you start seeing this happen? Rush to your doctor and discuss a treatment plan.
You need to get your diabetes under control! Your doctor will also get you to do physical therapy.
This is so you don’t lose any mobility in your joints.
Blisters
Another sign you need to look out for is blisters. You’ll notice them pretty quickly.
They’re usually huge. It can be one big blister, or a cluster of them.
Either way, they’re going to be big, and they’re going to hurt.
You will usually see these blisters on your hands and feet.
Sometimes, they also appear on your legs and forearms.
They’re usually rare, but when they do happen, the blisters often look different from each other.
Don’t confuse these blisters with the ones you get from allergic reactions or fungal infections.
Blisters caused by diabetes are mostly painless. They usually won’t cause scarring either. Again,
if you start noticing these blisters on your skin, get in touch with a doctor ASAP.
Dark patches Have you ever noticed dark patches of velvety
skin on your armpit, neck, or groin? If you have, it’s time to start taking your health seriously.
Dark, velvety skin patches usually serve as signs that your diabetes is out of control.
This means there is too much insulin in your blood. The dark skin patch can also feel itchy,
but remember, no scratching! On top of that, it may even smell a little.
Darkening of the skin in the creases of your neck is usually the first sign you have diabetes.
This condition is called acanthosis nigricans (ak-un-thosis-ni-gruh-kans).
It can be easily diagnosed by your doctor after a close examination. But if they’re
going to treat the condition, they’ll need to check for diabetes or insulin resistance.
Skin infections Diabetes increases your risk of skin infections.
Skin infections can be easily identified by hot swollen skin that’s too painful to even touch.
You may also get an itchy rash or tiny blisters. Dry scaly skin is another tell-tale sign.
Sometimes infected skin may also ooze out a white discharge.
Skin infection caused by diabetes can appear anywhere on your body. But they’re mostly
seen around your nails, or between the toes. You can also get an infection on your scalp.
Scary, isn’t it? Make sure you get this treated as soon as you can.
Open sores and wounds
Diabetes makes it difficult for your body to heal. This is because blood sugar can mess up
your circulation if your levels remain high for too long. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage.
The longer diabetes goes without treatment, the worse off your nerves will be.
Poor blood circulation makes it harder for your body to heal wounds effectively.
This is why people with uncontrolled diabetes often end up with foot
ulcers. You will find redness and an unusual amount of swelling on your feet. If you don’t take
care of the ulcers quickly, they will spread into other areas, making them much harder to treat.
If you have diabetes, make sure you’re checking your feet every day. This way,
you’ll know if there are wounds.
Shin spots
Shin spots, as the name suggests, usually occur on your shins. You will see spots and sometimes
even lines on them. Shin spots are common among people who have long-term diabetes.
This skin condition is called diabetic dermopathy. Shin spots are usually brown in color. They mostly
fade in around the two year mark. As for how long they stick around, you never really know.
Your doctor will be able to diagnose shin spots by looking at the size and shape of it.
If you’re noticing shin spots, it’s time to get your diabetes tested.
Reddish-yellow bumps Are you noticing small bumps on your skin?
What color are they? If they’re reddish-yellow in color, you may want to get your diabetes checked.
Diabetes can lead to an outbreak of small bumps on your skin.
They often appear in large groups. It’s really easy at first to mistake them
for pimples. But the difference is that these bumps will eventually turn yellow.
The bumps mostly appear on your buttocks, or on the backside of your knees.
Sometimes, you’ll even see them on your thighs or elbows. Just try not to scratch
them. These ones are especially painful if you irritate the skin around them.
Skin-colored bumps
There are just too many bumps to keep track of when it comes to diabetes.
Another type you need to look out for is one you can barely see to begin with.
It’s like these bumps are blended into the skin. Over time, they usually become red.
Medically, this skin condition is called granuloma annulare (gran-yewl-omah-anne-yewl-R-ee).
While this skin condition doesn’t automatically mean you have diabetes,
it’s certainly a sign you should get checked.
People with diabetes often experience this skin condition, which comes and goes on its own.
If it does happen, you’ll notice it right away. It develops over a large portion of your skin.
Extremely dry, itchy skin
People with diabetes usually have dry skin. Just touching it is enough to make you cringe.
This type of skin happens because of high blood sugar levels.
Out of control blood sugar leads to poor circulation,
which causes your skin to become rough. . Please don’t think you can fix this
by simply rubbing topical creams onto the dry spots. You’re going to need treatment.
Dermatologists will be able to tell pretty quickly what kind of treatment you need and
how to handle the spots. Of course, your diabetes will also need to be diagnosed.
Yellowish, scaly patches on your eyelids
Gross, uncomfortable patches on and around the eyelids should never be ignored.
This is especially true if they’re yellow in color.
They could be caused by a skin condition called xanthelasma (zan-thull-az-muh).
Anyone can get xanthelasma, but people with diabetes run a much higher risk.
If you’re on treatment, and still notice yellow scaly patches around the eyes, you need to get
your blood sugar levels checked. This is a sign your diabetes is being controlled poorly.
You will need to talk to your doctor about the best way to deal with these patches. While it’s
usually a harmless condition, it’s best to take care of it in time to avoid making it worse.
Skin tags
No we’re not talking about a loose tag on your shirt. These are different.
Skin tags are pretty harmless, but they’re still gross. They’re formed as a result of your skin
tissues growing. You usually see them on the skin folds on your neck and armpits.
Fortunately, skin tags are usually non cancerous. But at the same time,
research points out that multiple skin tags on your body can be caused by insulin resistance.
You don’t really have to get special treatment for them unless they’re causing irritation.
There are a few over-the-counter products that can help with this.
It’s best to talk to a doctor, especially if the skin tags continue to grow.
In extreme cases, you’ll have to undergo a procedure to remove skin tags.
Warning signs that appear on your skin aren’t the
only symptoms of diabetes. There are other surprising symptoms you should know about.
Once diabetes is diagnosed, you’ll need to pay close attention to your diet.
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple of videos, shall we? Here’s what you need to know…
Check out the 6 Best and 6 Worst Vegetables For Diabetics. You should also watch 16 Signs
Your Blood Sugar Is High & 8 Diabetes Symptoms. Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both,
and learn more about diabetes, and how your diet affects it. Did you know about
these warning signs before watching this video? Let us know in the comments below!