According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin changes are some of the most common signs of diabetes. One change many people experience is the rapid onset of dry, itchy skin. In this post, we will examine the relationship between diabetes and skin, including what that incessant itching might be telling you.

While there’s nothing unusual about the occasional itch, when that irritation becomes persistent to the point that you can’t resist scratching, then there’s probably an underlying problem. There’s even a medical term for constant itchiness – pruritus – and for someone with diabetes or prediabetes, it just might be a sign that something is up with your blood sugar.

What Does Diabetes Itchy Skin Feel Like?

There are several reasons your skin may itch, which are related to diabetes management and blood sugar. The sensation can feel slightly different based on each unique cause and a person’s individual reaction to them. However, diabetes-related itchiness is intense and does not go away when you scratch it. In fact, scratching may be the worst thing you can do, as too much scratching can damage the skin. Additionally, it can lead to what’s called an itch-scratch cycle – a state in which the more you scratch, the worse the itchiness becomes. So, what causes this itchiness to happen? Like many things related to diabetes, it revolved around blood sugar control.

How High Blood Sugar Causes Itchy Skin

If you are living with diabetes, you know the key to a healthy life without diabetes-related complications is keeping your blood sugar in the target range. When blood sugar elevates, especially if it is high for a prolonged period of time, the body will try to get rid of the excess glucose by pulling fluid from the cells and releasing it through the urine. In other words, you start to pee more frequently. When you lose a lot of fluid, the skin cells begin to dehydrate, and this dryness can lead to a sensation of severe itchiness.

Prolonged high blood sugar can also damage the skin barrier. This protective layer safeguards the underlying tissue, which can leave you more prone to skin irritants that can cause itchiness. Finally, high glucose levels in the blood can trigger an immune system reaction, releasing inflammatory agents called cytokines that can also contribute to itchy skin.

Poor Circulation and Itchy Skin

While high blood sugar can directly impact the skin, causing it to itch, another diabetes-related complication is often the culprit. Diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage occurs when prolonged high blood sugar damages the body’s blood vessels, impeding circulation and damaging nerves, usually in the extremities.

Because the legs are relatively far from the heart, your body’s blood-pumping centerpiece, they are more prone to poor circulation and nerve damage due to hyperglycemia. One of the primary symptoms of neuropathy is itchiness, which usually occurs in the lower legs and may be accompanied by tingling and feelings of numbness.

How Skin Infections Trigger Itchiness in Diabetes

One more way high blood sugar can lead to itchy skin is through infections, particularly fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot or jock itch. High blood sugar has weakened the body’s natural immune response, making a person more prone to these common skin infections. If you’ve ever had a fungal infection, you know that they can itch big time.

Can Diabetes Medications Cause Itchy Skin?

Sometimes, the medicines taken to help control blood sugar and manage diabetes can lead to itchiness. For example, one of the side effects of the commonly prescribed diabetes drug, metformin, is chronic itching. In other instances, a person may be allergic to a medication, and that allergy manifests itself in hives or itchiness. If you believe a new medication may cause your itchy skin, speak with your doctor ASAP, as alternative medications may be available. Do not stop taking any medications prescribed to you without first consulting your physician.

How to Stop Itchy Skin from Diabetes

If your itchy skin is due to high blood sugar, the best treatment is to get your diabetes back under control. Whether that means testing more often or working with your doctor and care team to make a few adjustments to your diabetes management program, the itchiness will most likely go away once your blood glucose levels are stabilized. In the meantime, you can also:

• Keep skin well-moisturized with a cream moisturizer
• Wash with mild soaps
• Dry your skin promptly after washing
• Shower or bathe in warm water rather than overly hot water
• Experiment with over-the-counter (OTC) anti-itch creams
• In the winter months, use a humidifier to keep skin moist
• Exercise to promote healthy circulation

Itchy Skin Without Diabetes: What It Means

If you are experiencing persistent itching, especially if you also have some of the common risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes, then you should see a doctor.

Diabetes Risk Factors

– Obesity

– Family History of Diabetes

– Lack of Physical Activity

– High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet

– You are 45 or Older

– Have High Blood Pressure or Cholesterol

Conclusion

Your skin is a sounding board when it comes to diabetes. If you’re experiencing usual and persistent itchiness, it could be a signal that you are prediabetic or have undiagnosed diabetes. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, itchy skin could be a warning sign that your blood sugar is elevated and needs to be brought back into the target range. The good news is when blood sugar is treated correctly, that uncomfortable itchiness you’re experiencing will likely go away.

Do you have any additional insights on diabetes and itchy or irritated skin? Please share them with our readers in the comment section below. Thanks, and stay diabetes healthy!

At Diabetic Warehouse, we’re committed to helping those with diabetes manage blood sugar with a complete selection of testing and treatment supplies at up to 65% less than those found at most pharmacies and suppliers.