Every year, 14 November is celebrated as World Diabetes Awareness Day in the world. Diabetes, also known as diabetes, is seen in an estimated 11 million people in our country today, and it has reached twice the level of the world on average.
The deterioration of the immune system due to the increase in blood sugar in diabetic patients is also the main reason for the lack of resistance in the patients’ bodies and their being open to all kinds of infections. Involvement of vessels and nerves also causes various wounds and loss of sensation, especially in the feet. At this point, Assoc. Dr. Ahu Birolp Kocaalp quotes:
Solution for fungal infections ‘hygiene and physician treatment’
Fungal infections develop very frequently in the feet, ears, groin and fold areas of diabetic patients, where all kinds of skin diseases are more severe than in normal patients. Bacterial infections and especially inflammations that we call abscesses and boils are seen in the body. We can summarize the treatment as follows:
If the fungal infection is standing, itching, watering, sores, redness, dandruff, flaking, peeling between the toes; It causes complaints such as thickening of the nails, yellowing, deterioration of the shape of the nail and separation of the nail. In this case, the treatment takes place by supplementing each other with oral medications and creams that can be applied on the skin.
Other diseases of the person are also taken into account in the treatment. For example, if the patient is old and also has liver and/or kidney failure, he cannot use pills, he is treated only with cream. If the fungus is in the groin area, under the armpit or under the breast, it manifests itself in the form of redness and watery sores, especially on the surface. In this case, only the cream may be sufficient for the treatment. In any case, the patient with an infection should receive medical treatment first and pay close attention to hygiene.
A person with a fungal disease should never share personal belongings such as socks, slippers, shoes, towels with someone else, and should take care to wash them after using them once. In addition, the bathroom should be disinfected after the patient takes a shower, as the fungus will reproduce in humid environments.
So, is it possible to get rid of itching?
Itching, which is more common in diabetics than in other people, is disturbing when it mainly occurs on the scalp. The treatment of itching, using pills and moisturizers used in allergy treatment, is determined according to the complaints of the person and is usually started with a high dose and gradually reduced during the treatment period.
Take these measures to heal wounds on feet!
In diabetics, wounds are most common on the feet and legs. The biggest reason for this is the loss of sensitivity to hot and cold due to sensory loss, and the formation and increase of wounds as the patient becomes unable to perceive calluses, traumas, squeezing shoes and itching. Here, we strongly recommend our patients to increase their personal examination by observing themselves and to consult physicians without neglecting the slightest sign of injury. However, we can list the things to be careful about hygiene as follows:
The feet should be washed with soapy warm water every day, and the toes should be dried very well, especially in order not to leave them damp, and cream should not be applied there. At this point, if there is a wound onset, individual control is very important so that the patient can apply to the doctor on time. Patients should definitely check the soles of their feet and between the toes daily. If they cannot do this themselves, they should seek help from a relative or monitor whether there is a wound with the help of a mirror.
Cotton socks should be worn and socks changed daily.
Nails should be cut bluntly, not too rounded and deep. Cuticles should not be plucked.
Care should be taken in the selection of shoes, shoes with soft leather and which can take the shape of the foot should be preferred. Custom made shoes or special insoles can be used.
After washing the feet, the heels and soles of the feet should be massaged with a softening cream to prevent the formation of cracks and calluses.
Decreased immunity in diabetes can cause ‘vitiligo’
In vitiligo, which means ‘whitening of the skin’, which can occur due to the improper functioning of the immune system in diabetic patients, the body tries to destroy the pigment cells that give the skin its color by perceiving it as foreign. In the treatment, a cortisone cream is applied to the skin. One of the most effective treatments is sunlight. In the months when there is no sunlight, the skin is darkened with artificial sunlight. If the white spots are widespread on the body, patients are placed in artificial sunbathing cabins, if local, only those areas can be treated with an excimer laser device. Since problems such as ringworm and B12 deficiency may accompany vitiligo, we can add appropriate solutions to them in the treatment.
Monitor your frequently recurring skin infections
Remember that diabetes is not always a symptomatic disease, you may have hidden sugar. However, if you examine yourself frequently and pay attention to your skin findings, you can see a doctor and detect it early. Diabetes is suspected, especially if you have frequent skin infections, abscesses and cases that are resistant to treatment. There are also special wounds that can be caused by diabetes. When such a wound is seen on the leg, the patient’s sugar level should be checked.