Did you know that diabetes can affect your skin, too? Around 50% of people with diabetes develop some form of skin issue, and diabetes dermopathy is one of the most common, especially in men over the age of 50. These skin changes often appear as small, round, reddish-brown patches on the shins.
Managing conditions like diabetes dermopathy starts with effectively controlling your blood sugar. Diabetes management programs, like those from Fitterfly, focus on improving overall health by promoting lifestyle changes that help manage blood sugar levels and prevent complications like diabetes dermopathy.
Let’s examine diabetes dermopathy, why it occurs, and how controlling diabetes can manage it.
What Is Diabetes Dermopathy?
Diabetes dermopathy appears as small, round, or oval reddish-brown patches, usually on bony parts like the shins, so it is sometimes called diabetes shin spots. The patches themselves don’t hurt or itch and are only more noticeable on lighter skin.
Though diabetes dermopathy is a common feature in diabetes patients, these spots alone are not sufficient to prove a diagnosis of diabetes. If you identify these spots, you should see a doctor and get tested to ensure proper condition management.
Why Does Diabetes Dermopathy Occur?
Although its root cause is still unknown, diabetes dermopathy is believed to be caused by high blood sugar levels. This magnifies the impact of accumulating sugars in the blood vessels and nerve endings within a diabetic patient that lies under the skin, making your skin more prone to minor injuries that will bring about those dark spots.
These areas are also believed to be due to microtrauma in people whose diabetes is not controlled. The damaged blood vessels cause pigments, such as melanin, to collect, darkening skin.
What Does Diabetes Dermopathy Look Like?
At first, they can be small and reddish with dull skin that gradually takes on the color of brown patches. They do not itch or hurt and easily can be mistaken for age spots. The patches primarily emerge on the shins but can also appear on the thighs, forearms, and other bony parts of the body.
Is Diabetes Dermopathy Hazardous?
While the spots themselves are not harmful, their presence does indicate some issues with your control over diabetes. Diabetes dermopathy indicates that high blood sugars are affecting the microvasculature and could potentially result in more severe complications, like nerve damage or kidney disease if they are not controlled.
Management of Diabetes Dermopathy
Since dermopathy is a presentation of poorly controlled blood sugar, the best management approach would be a quest to try and control the diabetes. Lifestyle changes like those followed in diabetes management programs would be useful in keeping blood sugar stable and preventing further complications, including dermopathy.
This is a spot and does not require any special treatment because it fades away once your blood sugar is controlled. If it annoys you to have spots on your body, you can utilize some moisturizers to reduce their visibility, but of course, the best prevention of new spots from appearing is to have your blood sugar in order.
Can Diabetes Dermopathy Be Prevented?
The prevention of the condition mainly involves controlling blood sugar levels to the required level. Therefore, managing your diabetes through a lifestyle adjustment, including a well-balanced diet, proper exercise, and proper treatment, is a sure way to reduce the complications of diabetes, such as diabetes dermopathy.
Conclusion
The condition is not a fatal disease. However, it may signal that your sugar levels are not controlled. Instead of directly treating the skin, it would be better to treat it by managing diabetes.