Diabetes can not only cause abnormal blood sugar, but also cause metabolic disorders of protein and fat. The three substances out of control make waves in the blood vessels and nervous systems of the human body, which will lead to complications such as coronary heart disease and peripheral neuropathy. As long as there are blood vessels and nerves, there is the possibility of diabetic complications.
Skin is the body’s first line of defense, distributed with rich blood vessels and nerves, providing nutrition and governing sensation. Therefore, it is very common for diabetics to have skin problems of different degrees.
If left unchecked, it will not only affect the beauty, but also bring a lot of pain and even endanger life. To have beautiful and healthy skin, should sugar lovers be what?
Today, Dr. Clove introduced 4 common skin problems of diabetic patients and some prevention and treatment methods.
Skin pruritus
Interpretation of illness: mainly manifested as whole body or local skin pruritus, local pruritus is common in vulva, anus, waist and back, etc., often a burst of attacks, more obvious at night. Serious cases appear scratches, erythema, papules, pigmentation, dry skin desquamation, scabs and skin hypertrophy and chapping.
This is diabetes combined with vascular and neuropathy, which makes the skin’s water retention ability and sweat discharge function decline, causing skin dryness.
Prevention and treatment tips: In addition to controlling blood sugar and regulating blood lipid, attention should also be paid to:
- Don’t scratch hard at the itching place, you can wet it with cold water or gently pat the itching place. Keep skin clean, but bathing should not be frequent, especially when it is cold, 1 ~ 3 times a week. Hot water scalding and towel rubbing are not advisable. It is suggested to choose neutral or weakly acidic bath lotion or bath soap. At ordinary times, external moisturizing and moisturizing preparations can be used. Patients with severe pruritus can take drugs orally under the guidance of doctors to relieve itching. Anti-infection treatment is required when infection is complicated.
Skin infection
Manifestations: folliculitis, cellulitis, tinea, etc.
Interpretation of illness: The high sugar environment in sugar friends provides opportunities for the invasion and reproduction of fungi, bacteria and viruses.
- Folliculitis caused by bacterial infection is more common in head, face and buttocks. A large area of red and swollen cellulitis is more common in lower limbs and feet, all showing red and swollen skin, fever and pain. Tinea manus and pedis and tinea cruris are common fungal infections. It can be seen that skin has macula, desquamation and itching. Candida albicans infection in fungi can also cause vaginitis, with vulvar pruritus, increased secretions and other manifestations. Virus infection is common with herpes zoster, causing blisters, pain, etc.
Prevention and treatment tips: Controlling blood sugar is fundamental. If there is the possibility of the above infection, do not squeeze or scratch the affected part and seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.
Skin color change
1. Manifestations: Skin flushing
Interpretation of the disease condition: Skin flushing is caused by the skin turning red around nails, on the face, on the lower legs and other parts. Sometimes blood streaks can be seen, sometimes red is connected into one piece, and there is no other discomfort to the skin.
Young patients with poor blood sugar control are more common, and diabetic ketoacidosis is more common. Because blood flows back to veins from arteries through capillaries, when blood sugar is high, blood viscosity increases, blood flow at capillaries is slow, causing vasodilation, thus causing this situation.
Prevention and treatment tips: After controlling blood sugar, symptoms can disappear. If necessary, use drugs to improve circulation under the guidance of a doctor. Usually to prevent hyperglycemia, such as sudden skin flushing, need to be on guard against diabetic ketoacidosis, please see a doctor as soon as possible.
2. Manifestations: The skin is grayish brown
Interpretation of the disease condition: Grayish brown skin is symmetrically distributed in skin folds such as neck, armpit and anus and genitals. Sometimes the skin will thicken and look like [scale] attached to the skin, which is called [acanthosis nigricans].
Its occurrence is related to obesity and decreased insulin sensitivity.
Prevention and treatment tips: Overweight and obese patients should strengthen diet control, moderate exercise, weight loss, and use metformin and other drugs to enhance insulin sensitivity under the guidance of doctors. The disease condition can be relieved or even cured.
Skin morphological changes
1. Manifestations: Dark red papules
Interpretation of the disease condition: It is often found in the front of the lower leg, scattered or clustered with irregular, round or oval dark red papules with clear boundaries. The rash is generally a little higher than the skin.
I don’t feel much, the development is slow, diabetes can fade slowly after good control, but it may leave some darker marks, some can fade completely, but it is easy to relapse.
This is a skin problem that only diabetic patients have. It is related to diabetic microangiopathy and is more common in patients with older age, long course of disease and diabetic microangiopathy (such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy).
Prevention and treatment tips: There is no specific treatment method. Controlling blood sugar is beneficial to promoting skin symptoms to fade and is also an effective prevention method.
Never apply ointment without authorization. Patients with this kind of problem often have microvascular complications of diabetes, so if this kind of skin change occurs, please go to the hospital’s ophthalmology and nephrology department in time for screening for other complications.
2. Manifestations: Yellow papules
Interpretation of the disease condition: Some diabetic patients are accompanied by hyperlipidemia, blood lipid will deposit on the skin, and some yellow rashes will appear, usually the size of rice grains to soybeans, with relatively hard texture, and a few will grow to the size of eggs, which is called [skin xanthomatosis], which is more common in the position near the upper eyelid, and can also appear on the skin of limbs, chest, abdomen, buttocks and other parts.
Prevention and treatment tips: In addition to blood sugar, blood lipid should also try to control the standard, hyperlipidemia patients should use lipid-regulating drugs under the guidance of doctors. After the disease is controlled, rash can be alleviated or disappeared. When some local xanthoma affects the appearance, laser or surgical treatment can be carried out.
3. Manifestations: Blisters
Interpretation of the disease condition: Circular blisters appear on the skin with normal appearance, with diameters ranging from 0.5 cm to more than 10 cm. The blister wall is tense and there is transparent liquid inside. It is possible to bleed, but there is no inflammatory reaction such as redness and swelling. This is called [diabetic bullous disease].
It mainly occurs in the elderly, patients with long course of diabetes, and patients with poor blood sugar control. It is common at the ends of limbs, especially at the feet and toes. It is often caused by pressure or friction and is also related to metabolic disorders.
Prevention Tips:
- Blisters with soft skin should not be broken without authorization. The liquid in the blisters should be absorbed by themselves. After disinfection with iodine every day, it should be covered and bandaged with sterile gauze. For blisters with tight epidermis and a diameter greater than 0.5 cm, you need to go to the hospital to aspirate all the liquid in the blisters and then wrap them up for dressing change. If the blister ruptures on its own, it should also be disposed of in hospital as soon as possible to prevent infection. At the same time, attention should be paid to keeping blistered places clean and dry, properly raising affected limbs and massaging limbs, which are beneficial to venous reflux, reducing exudation and promoting blood circulation. At ordinary times, blood sugar should be well controlled, loose soft-soled shoes should be selected to avoid long-term pressure on local areas, especially feet. Do not directly contact various heat sources with skin, including hot water bags, electric blankets, electric heaters, etc. The water temperature for bathing and soaking feet should be lower than 40 ℃.
In fact, at the end of the day, the most important thing is to control blood sugar. I wish all sugar friends health and beauty.