Diabetes and skin care

Diabetes can affect every part of the body, including the skin. As many as, one third of people living with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives.
Diabetes can hurt your skin in two ways:
1. If your blood glucose is high, your body loses fluid. With less fluid in your body, your skin can get dry. Dry skin can be itchy, causing you to scratch and make it sore. Also, dry skin can crack. Cracks allow germs to enter and cause infection. If your blood glucose is high, it feeds germs and makes infections worse. Skin can get dry on your legs, feet, elbows, and other places on your body.
2. Nerve damage can decrease the amount you sweat. Sweating helps keep your skin soft and moist. Decreased sweating in your feet and legs can cause dry skin.
The best way to help lower your risk of skin problems is keeping your blood glucose levels on target. The goal of diabetes management is to prevent peaks and dips in blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels may make you thirsty and cause you to urinate more, as your body tries to get rid of the extra glucose. This could lead to dehydration, so be sure to drink plenty of water when your blood glucose is high. Follow your physician's recommendation on what levels are right for you and learn to recognise the signs of high and low blood glucose levels.
Skin care tips
A good skin care routine not only helps alleviate discomfort from dry skin, but also helps you keep in tune with your body to help prevent serious complications down the road. You may avoid skin problems by managing your diabetes through proper diet, exercise and medication, if needed.
Here are some additional tips for good skin care:
* See your doctor for major cuts, burns or infections or skin problems you are unable to treat yourself.
* Keep skin clean. Wash with a mild soap or a gentle cleanser.
* Avoid very hot baths and showers if you have loss of sensation, because you can easily burn yourself without knowing it. Stick with lukewarm water instead. Take this opportunity to check your skin for red, dry or sore spots that could lead to infection if untreated
* Pat your skin dry gently with a soft towel. Be sure to remove moisture in the folds of skin where fungal infections are more likely.
* Apply a daily moisturising lotion or cream after bathing. Doing this while your skin is still damp helps trap the moisture in your skin.
* Pay close attention to problem areas such as hands and knuckles, elbows and feet. Look for things like calluses, blisters, cuts or scrapes that might need extra attention.
* Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated.
* During cold, dry months use a humidifier in your home to add moisture to the air. Bathe less during this weather, if possible.
* Use a good sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more to help prevent sunburn.
* Wear gloves for extra protection when engaging in activities that are harsh on the hands, such as gardening.nd vegetable
* Treat minor cuts, scrapes and skin cracks right away to help prevent more serious problems from developing.
Skin problems and injection sites
If you are injecting insulin, it is recommended that you rotate your injection sites to help prevent problems from occurring in and under the skin. The main problem that could occur at injection sites is hypertrophy – the overgrowth of cells, usually fat cells that make the skin look lumpy. It can look similar to scar tissue. When a site is used over and over again, fat deposits can accumulate in that area. The abnormal cell growth can limit the absorption of your insulin. Inject away from the lumps and remember to rotate the sites. Ask a member of your health care team to check your injection sites periodically.

The writer is a Senior Microbiologist at Novo Healthcare and Pharma Ltd. E-mail: [email protected]