Diabetic Dry Skin Symptoms

As a diabetic there are a host of health complications that can assail you. Skin complications during diabetes are quite common with almost thirty percent of diabetic patients suffering from some skin complication or other. Fungal, bacterial infections and constant itching is quite common in diabetes.

diabetic dry skin symptoms

Dry skin in diabetes is caused by the dehydration of the body due to the constant urinating to remove the glucose in the blood. The body turns the water into urine to flush out the high glucose in the blood. This causes dryness of the skin especially around the legs and feet. The fluctuations in the blood glucose levels can also lead to the dry skin symptoms in diabetes. Here are a few tips to identify diabetic dry skin symptoms.

How to Identify Dry Skin during Diabetes

Constant Itching

One of the common symptoms of diabetes is localized itching. As the skin becomes dry you tend to scratch it more. This leads to the skin around the area getting red and sore. Sometimes the intense itching and scratching can lead to a break in the skin. To avoid this it is essential for a diabetic patient to take care of the skin.

Do not bathe for long hours in hot water. Use lukewarm water and a mild soap while bathing. Make sure that you moisturize your skin well after having a bath and whenever the skin feels dry. Avoid scratching as it can lead to worsening of the symptoms and even cause skin infections.

Cracking and Peeling of the Skin

If you have dry skin due to diabetes then your skin will start peeling and cracking slowly. This can be a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal organisms and should be avoided.

Apply a good body lotion to keep your skin from becoming dry. Do not peel the skin yourself or use dirty nails to scratch the skin’s surface as it can cause skin infections.