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Lets explore deep into this link. Read along.
What is Eczema?
Also known as dermatitis, eczema is a collective name for skin disorders that cause blisters, rashes, redness or itchiness on patches of the skin left rough by inflammation or dryness. Usually it starts with an allergy and then spreads all the way on the skin.
How Eczema is connected to Diabetes?
Be it blisters, rashes, flakes, redness or any such kind of skin disorder, the primary reason behind it is excessive dryness or inflammation. Now, what happens during diabetes is that the blood glucose level of the body starts shooting up. To filter out this excess glucose, the body increases urination process. So, a person under diabetes feels more urge to urinate than a normal person.
However, in this process of frequent urination, the body starts losing all its water, which is perhaps the most important element of a human body. This loss of water leaves little or no moisture for the skin. This results in increased inflammation and dryness of the skin. Therefore, diabetics are more vulnerable to eczema. It can also be caused by neuropathy, numbness or nerve damage due to diabetes.
Symptoms & Warning Signs
In diabetics, eczema can appear in many forms on the skin. Mostly, it starts with dry patches on the skin or itchiness and then develops into redness, swelling or even blisters. If a diabetic has some skin problems in addition to diabetes, the effects can be severe. Following skin conditions are some of the symptoms of eczema that are high signs to consult your diabetologist.
1. Acanthosis nigricans (AN)
AN is a condition in which the back of the neck starts developing dark patches or bands with sluggish skin. This indicates that too much insulin has build up in your blood, a sign of pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2.
2. Diabetic Bullae
Commonly known as blisters, this condition is prevalent among many diabetics. Small to large blisters can appear on legs, forearms, hands or feet. Its basically an infection caused due to accumulation of glucose in the blood. To prevent the spreading of this infection, visit your doctor immediately.
3. Open wounds
Being related to high blood sugar, diabetes can sometimes lead to nerve damage, mostly in the feet. So, if a sore or wound in your feet is taking too much time to heal, there might be a possibility that your blood sugar is going high. In this case, check your feet everyday for any open wound and treat them immediately, either with medication or therapy.
4. Foot Ulcers
Over 15 to 20 percent of people suffering from diabetes develop this condition once or more in their lifetime. A foot ulcer is caused by damage of one or more nerves in the area where your foot experiences most pressure. Due to this, the outer skin starts developing dead skin layers and eventually, spreads the damage to inside the skin too.
In addition to these major signs, signs like reddish or yellowish bumps, shin dark spots, skin infections or yeast infections, these too might indicate that you are falling prey to a diabetic eczema.
Closing Thought
Eczema can occur in any part of your body from toe to forearms, especially if you have diabetes. If not treated on time, they can spread in the entire body, damaging it nerve by nerve. And so, it is extremely crucial that the moment you notice any such signs on your skin, consult your doctor and get the necessary medication.
