Skin problems can be an early sign of diabetes. A permanently high blood sugar level can damage skin cells. It is important to recognize and treat the metabolic disease - if the blood sugar level is well regulated, the skin problems usually disappear.
If the skin is red, dry or itchy, few people suspect a serious metabolic disease. But that can be the exact cause of such complaints. Around 80 percent of all diabetics have skin problems. This is because an increased blood sugar level damages the cells and thus also affects the skin structure.
"The so-called 'saccharification' of proteins, fats and nucleic acids plays a central role in skin diseases in diabetes," report the US Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf and the USA Center for Diabetes Research on a joint platform . "Advanced saccharification of these molecules can change the structure and function of the skin."
Six skin characteristics that can occur in signs of diabetes
People with signs of diabetes are more likely to be affected than people with type 1. In total, around 4.6 million people in USa have diabetes, most of them type 2. In some cases, it can take up to ten years for this form of diabetes to be diagnosed. By then, many of those affected are already suffering from secondary diseases due to the permanently elevated blood sugar levels.
Certain skin changes can be an early sign of diabetes, even before the disease is detected. These include:
constant itching
extremely dry skin
Redness of the skin
severe callus formation on the feet
Wounds and poor wound healing
Hardening of the palms
no sweating even at high temperatures or during physical exertion
Why does the skin react to signs of diabetes?
Studies show that people with signs of diabetes are more likely to suffer from various skin diseases. However, it is not always clear how exactly the two diseases are related to each other.
In most cases, the main cause of a skin reaction is an increased blood sugar level. High levels can affect the so-called keratinocytes and fibroblasts in the body, among other things. Keratinocytes are cells on the surface of the skin that produce keratin, which protects the skin and keeps it elastic. Fibroblasts are part of the connective tissue. They also keep the skin elastic and resilient.
If the two cell types are disrupted in their work by a permanently high blood sugar level, bacteria, viruses and fungi can penetrate the skin more easily. Wound healing also becomes more difficult.
One of the most common bacterial infections in diabetes is erysipelas, in which red patches spread rapidly on the skin, sometimes accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, fever and chills. Erythrasma causes scaly patches that turn reddish-brown, usually in skin folds, under the armpits or in the genital area.
Common fungal infections in diabetes include tinea, an infection on the foot and between the toes caused by a filamentous fungus. And infections caused by the yeast Candida albicans, which can lead to itchy, weeping and burning areas.
Skin problems caused by diabetes – what you can do
The good news: As soon as signs of diabetes is recognized and treated correctly, most skin problems should disappear. The blood sugar level should be within the individual target range that patients have defined with their diabetologist.
The United State Diabetes Center and the US Center for Diabetes Research also provide the following skin tips:
Keep your skin clean and do not degrease it by washing it too often with soap.
Provide the skin with plenty of moisture, for example with oil baths, a normal skin lotion or creams and ointments containing urea.
Avoid baths and showers that are too hot.
Take good care of your feet and check them for sores every day. Avoid applying lotions, creams or ointments between the toes - unless you have a fungal infection in that area. The extra moisture there can encourage the growth of fungus.