If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, one aspect of your healthcare that you will likely need to focus on is your skincare. Thankfully, antibiotics, proper blood sugar control, and prescribed topicals can heal many skin issues, but skin conditions that aren’t treated could get infected. Learn more about one skin issue — tinea — and how to treat it.
What Is Tinea and What Does It Look Like?
Tinea is the name for a group of skin conditions from fungus. For example, tinea versicolor causes abnormal skin pigmentation and red patches, while tinea corporis is commonly known as ringworm. Athlete’s foot and jock itch are also other types of tineae. Other tinea types can affect the limbs, scalp, and trunk. Tinea can be similar to yeast-like infections like candida, but some differences exist in how the fungal cells grow.
While many different types of tinea exist depending on their skin location and fungus type, the symptoms are often similar. If you have tinea, you may experience:
· Yellow or white discoloration
· Red, scaly rashes that are often shaped like rings
· Itching or stinging skin
· Blisters
· Cracked or peeling skin
· Bald spots (if tinea has affected the scalp)
You’ll need to visit your dermatologist for a diagnosis, as other skin conditions can look like tinea.
Why Are People With Diabetes at Risk for Tinea?
Because diabetes can cause a weakened immune system, people with this condition can develop tinea and other skin issues since the body may be too stressed to fight against potential threats.
One study found that people with diabetes are prone to tinea versicolor because they are prone to microangiopathy. Microangiopathy is a condition that causes capillary walls to become thin and weak. If you don’t have good circulation and blood flow, then your immune system can’t easily heal cuts and other skin injuries, which, in turn, could develop fungal infections.
Another reason people with diabetes can be at risk for tinea is because of uncontrolled glucose or a poor diet. Fungal yeasts can feed off of sugar, so if your blood sugar levels are unreasonably high, then yeast can flourish.
Why Does Tinea Keep Coming Back if Your Diabetes Is Under Control?
If you manage your glucose levels and diabetic symptoms but still get tinea, this can be frustrating. Keep in mind that having some fungal cells on your skin, hair, nails, and in your digestive system is normal, so you don’t want to overdo it with the wrong skin products.
While everyone is different, people with diabetes often have overly dry skin because of poor circulation. So, you should avoid products that overdry your skin since chapped skin can crack and leave the lower dermis layers exposed to tinea and other skin infections.
You’ll want to talk with your dermatologist to figure out the best skincare routine to find the right balancing act for your skin.
How Can a Dermatologist Help?
First, your dermatologist will need to determine if your skin condition is actually a tinea infection. He or she may scrape an affected area to gather skin cells or use tape to lift skin cells off. He or she will then look at the cells on a slide with a microscope to determine the problem.
If you do have tinea, then your dermatologist may prescribe a topical anti-fungal or an anti-fungal pill. These prescriptions should do a good job of clearing up your infection. Again, you’ll want to ask your dermatologist about good products to keep your skin healthy to prevent future infections.
While you don’t want chapped skin, overly oily skin isn’t good either since fungi thrive in moist conditions. You can prevent tinea by wearing breathable fabrics and loose-fitted clothing.
Reach out to us at Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists to learn more about how to treat tinea and other skin issues that can be common with diabetes.
