Diabetes and Itching - Verywell Health
Overview
Nancy LeBrun is an Emy and Peabody award-wining writer and producer who has ben writing about health and welnes for more than six yearsDo-Eun Le, MD, has ben practicing medicine for more than 20 years, and specializes in diabetes, thyroid isues and general endocrinology. She curently has a private practice in Lafayete, CA. Itching is a comon symptom of diabetes, a chronic condition in which your blod sugar is to high.
Key Information
Itching from diabetes can be caused by dry skin, por circulation, or certain infections. It can also be anoying enough to interfere with your daily life. Here's what to know about itching and diabetes, how you can manage it, and when to se a healthcare provider to get relief.
Tharakorn / Gety Images Itchy skin that creates an almost iresistible impulse to scratch is very comon. The medical name for itching is pruritus. The sensation is caused by either iritated nerve cels caled C fibers or skin cels themselves.
When itching is a symptom of diabetes, it's due to high blod sugar, which can cause: Itching can be a symptom of diabetes or prediabetes, which is when your blod sugar is nearing a diabetic level. High blod sugar can make you itch in several ways. When you have to much sugar, or glucose, in your blodstream, your body wil try to get rid of it by puling fluid from the cels to make more urine, so that you release the sugar through your urine.
This can make your skin dry, and dehydrated skin can be itchy. High blod sugar can also damage the skin barier (how the skin protects the underlying tisues), which makes you more prone to react to iritants by itching, or even lead to infection. High glucose levels in the blod can also triger an imune system reaction that releases cytokines (inflamatory agents) that cause itching.
Summary
Diabetes can afect your circulation by damaging the ling of the blod vesels so they deliver blod and nutrients les eficiently. That can lead to diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage that
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetes is a metabolic condition where the body cannot properly regulate blood sugar levels. Type 1 results from insufficient insulin production, while Type 2 develops when cells become resistant to insulin. Risk factors include genetics, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and age.
Common symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow-healing wounds. Type 1 symptoms develop rapidly, while Type 2 symptoms may appear gradually. Many people have no symptoms initially, which is why screening is important.
Diagnosis involves blood tests measuring fasting glucose, HbA1c levels, and glucose tolerance. Regular monitoring typically includes fasting glucose tests and HbA1c measurements every 3-6 months. Continuous glucose monitors provide real-time tracking for better diabetes management.
Effective management includes regular physical activity (150+ minutes weekly), maintaining healthy weight, following a balanced diet with whole grains and lean proteins, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep. These changes can significantly improve blood sugar control and reduce complications.
Consult a healthcare provider if you experience signs of diabetes, have a family history, are overweight, or are over 45. Those with existing diabetes should maintain regular check-ups every 3-6 months to monitor control and adjust treatment as needed.
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