Once upon a time, the diabetes was one of the deadliest silent killers of all the lifestyle diseases. Over the time, with the advancement of medical science, it has lost its hold and has been less fatal. However, it can cause other complications to organs such as kidney, eyes, and nerves, and can also cause various skin problems. In this article, we will mainly focus on skin problems it can cause, their effects and treatment techniques.
On an average 30% of diabetic patients of the people suffer from skin problem at some or other point; few of the common skin problem caused by infections are quite generic such as impetigo and candid. Besides, type-2 diabetic patients are more prone to developing scaly diseases too.
These skin diseases are also very likely with non-diabetic people; however, some skin infections appear only diabetic patients.
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Cause and Effects of Diabetic Skin Problems
Skin diseases occur due to bacterial and fungal infections; bacterial infections can cause skin problems on eyelid glands, boils, infections around nails and at the follicles of hair. Most of these conditions can cause swollen, burning sensation leading to severe pain and can affect other organisms.
Similarly, fungal infections can cause various skin disorders in diabetic patients. The victims of fungus infected people are likely to develop rashes, scales, and blisters in moister fold areas such as beneath the breast, in the armpit region, at the corners of the mouth, under the foreskin of male genital, between toes and fingers, etc.
In this article, we will discuss a common skin condition Diabetic dermopathy known as “Shin Spots” as the term suggest this skin condition appears on the shins, right below the knees.
Symptoms and Causes of Diabetic Dermopathy
Diabetic dermopathy causes brown and reddish scaly patches which can be of oval or round shaped appearing under the knees, generally these spots appear on the front sides exactly on the shin, which is why it is termed as shin spot’ it can also happen to non-diabetic people for various reasons such as injuries and trauma on shin region. Following are the few symptoms of Diabetic Dermopathy:
- Oval and round shaped spots
- Light Brown color
- Initially appears as scaly, later flattens and appears indented
- Common occurrence on shins of both the legs
Causes of Diabetic Dermopathy
Although the causes of this condition are not known medically, however, general perception indicates that it might occur due to nerve and vascular disorders. This particular condition is more likely to affect older patients suffering from diabetic for more than 10 years. Studies suggest; this skin problem is more likely to occur in the patients with diabetic related kidney, eye and nerve complications. Poor blood sugar control and enhanced glycosylated hemoglobin can cause this condition too.
Diabetic dermopathy can also appear due to trauma caused by extreme heat and cold.
What is the treatment for Diabetic Dermopathy?
Diabetic dermopathy is harmless; generally, they tend to fade away over the time with the improved blood sugar control.
Bottom-line is if you encounter any skin problem and you are not sure about its nature and effect then immediately consult your doctor.