Diabetes is a chronic illness or a condition that stays for a lifetime that can be controlled but cannot be cured. Diabetes makes it difficult for the body to use the sugar which it gets from the food. The elevated blood sugar level in the bloodstream can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves over a period of time. Diabetes can affect your skin and changes may be noticed in your skin which is the first sign of diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing ailments in the world. People may experience skin problems like itching, thickening of skin, yellow or brown patches, blisters, skin infections along with diabetes.
Here are some common symptoms of diabetes on the skin:
- Bacterial infections on the skin
In case your sugar levels are high then you are more prone to bacterial injections, particularly on the eyelids in the form of sties and boils, nail infections and deep skin infections. These infections are usually painful with red and swollen appearance.
· Necrobiosis Lipoidica
Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a rare, chronic, and idiopathic granulomatous disease of collagen degeneration. They usually start as small bumps and progress to bigger patches that are hard and swollen to touch.
· Diabetic blisters
Diabetic blisters occur suddenly on the skin in the form of many small blisters or one large blisters. They can appear on hands, feet, toes, back of fingers, legs, forearms.
· Dark velvety skin
This is one of the common symptoms that occurs at the initial stage of diabetes.
Dark, velvety patches of skin appear on neck, armpits and groins and other areas of skin folds. These are also called Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) and their appearance is attributed to being overweight.
· Digital sclerosis
Digital sclerosis is characterized by thickened and tightened skin of the fingers that appear to be waxy. This condition affects forearms, shoulders, neck, and upper back. This may also affect your face, shoulders, and chest.