Diabetes type 2: Unusual skin problems on your hands and feet? Symptoms to spot

Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert

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Diabetes type 2 can affect every part of the body, including the skin. Some of these problems are skin conditions anyone can have, however, people with diabetes can get them more easily. These include bacterial infections or fungal infections. If you experience either one of these two unusual symptoms found on your hands or feet you should speak to your GP for further tests.

Itching is often a symptom of a diabetic polyneuropathy which is a condition that develops when diabetes leads to nerve damage.

Certain skin conditions that develop as a result of diabetes may also cause itchy skin.

A person with diabetes should not ignore itchy skin.

Dry, irritated or itchy skin is more likely to become infected and people with diabetes may not be able to fight off infections as successfully as those who do not have the condition.

There are a number of reasons why a person with diabetes might experience more frequent itching than others.

Sometimes, itching can result from damaged nerve fibres in the outer layers of the skin.

Often, the cause of diabetes-related itching is diabetic polyneuropathy with the hands and feet mostly affected.

Granuloma annulare is a skin condition that causes a raised rash or bumps in a ring pattern.

The most common type affects young adults and usually affects the hands and feet.

“Minor skin injuries and some drugs might trigger the condition,” said the Mayo Clinic.

The health site added: “It’s not contagious and usually not painful, but it can make you feel self-conscious. And if it becomes a long-term (chronic) condition, it can cause emotional distress.

“Treatment might clear the skin gradually, but the lesions tend to come back. Untreated, the condition might last from a few weeks to decades.”

Several studies have found that granuloma annulare could be an early warning symptom of high blood sugars.

One study found that people with diabetes were most likely to have granuloma annulare over large areas of the skin which can cause raised bumps.

Another study warned that people who have granuloma annulare which comes and goes could be an indication of worrying blood sugars and should speak to their healthcare professional about further testing for diabetes.

In a study published in the National Library of Health, granuloma annulare and its link to diabetes was investigated.

“Granuloma annulare is a benign inflammatory disease of the skin,” began the study.

“The lesions typically appear as papules and plaques with annular margins most commonly on dorsal surfaces of hands, arms and feet.”

The study concluded that granuloma annulare may be associated with diabetes mellitus.
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