Skin Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes

Approximately 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The high blood glucose levels that define diabetes produce a number of signs and symptoms, including effects to your skin.

Causes

• Many of the skin symptoms caused by diabetes occur because of dehydration and poor circulation, which result from an imbalance caused by excessive amounts of sugar in the body.

Types of Signs and Symptoms

• Common skin signs and symptoms of diabetes include dryness, boils or infected hair follicles, fungal infections like athlete's foot and ringworm, and small, brown, scaly patches.

Diagnosis

• If you notice skin symptoms of diabetes, tell your doctor; she will most likely check your blood sugar levels through a routine blood test.

Risks

• Untreated, diabetes has the potential to cause heart disease, blindness and poor circulation that may lead to amputation of the feet, cautions the Mayo Clinic.

Solution

• If you have diabetes, your doctor will likely start you on an oral medication or insulin to control your sugar levels and have you visit with a dietitian to learn healthy eating patterns. Keeping your skin clean and dry and using moisturizers as well as products like talc help minimize the uncomfortable effects of diabetes skin symptoms, according to the American Diabetes Association.