Lumps And Bumps From Insulin Therapy
What are these lumps and bumps at my injection sites? Lumps and bumps from insulin are called lipohypertrophy. This is a medical word for a lump under the skin from an accumulation of fat at the site of many insulin injections. Scar tissue may also develop at the sites. Why does this happen? This happens due to the action of insulin on the fat cells. Insulin can actually cause fat cells to increase in size. It is generally seen when one uses the same area for insulin injection or infusion. It happens most often in areas that are easiest to inject insulin or place infusion sets-on both sides of the belly button and on the sides of the thighs. What happens when you have this? You may notice a thickening of this skin and areas of lumps and bumps. This was more evident with the older preparations of insulin where the skin changes were more evident. The changes may be very subtle with the newer insulin analogs so it is important to actually feel the areas that you use to inject or infuse insulin. You want to firmly stroke the areas in a sweeping motion to feel for any lumps. Does it affect your glucose control? Infusing insulin into areas of lipohypertrophy can affect your glucose control. Insulin is not always well-absorbed in these areas. You may find that your glucose control is not what you expect it to be. The more damaged the area is the more likely it is that glucose control will be affected. Sometimes the areas of lipohypertrophy have damaged nerve endings and you don’t feel your infusion set going it at all. This is clearly a sign of a damaged area. How is it prevented? Rotate your infusion sites! It is important to use different sites to prevent lipohypertrophy. You might want to use a calendar or body map to be sure that you are rotating you sites frequently. Av Continue reading >>
Lipohypertrophy
Lipohypertrophy is an abnormal accumulation of fat underneath the surface of the skin. It’s most commonly seen in people who receive multiple daily injections, such as people with type 1 diabetes. In fact, up to 50 percent of people with type 1 diabetes experience it at some point. Repeated insulin injections in the same location can cause fat and scar tissue to accumulate. The main symptom of lipohypertrophy is the development of raised areas under the skin. These areas may have the following characteristics: small and hard or large and rubbery patches surface area over 1 inch in diameter a firmer feel than elsewhere on the body Areas of lipohypertrophy can cause delays in absorption of medication administered to the affected area, like insulin, which can result in difficulties controlling blood sugar. Lipohypertrophy areas should not: be hot or warm to the touch have redness or unusual bruising be noticeably painful These are all symptoms of a potential infection or injury. See a doctor as soon as possible if you have any of these symptoms. Lipohypertrophy is not the same as when an injection hits a vein, which is a temporary and one-time situation and has symptoms that include bleeding and a raised area that may be bruised for a few days. It’s common for lipohypertrophy to go away on its own if you avoid injecting in the area. In time, the bumps may get smaller. Avoiding the injection site is one of the most important parts of treatment for most people. It can take anywhere from weeks to months (and sometimes up to a year) before you may see any improvement. In severe cases, liposuction, a procedure that removes fat from under the skin, may be used to reduce the bumps. Liposuction gives immediate results and can be used when avoiding the injection site hasn’t r Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Skin Complications
Copyright © 2005 American Diabetes Association From Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association Diabetes can affect every part of the body, including the skin. As many as one third of people with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives. In fact, such problems are sometimes the first sign that a person has diabetes. Luckily, most skin conditions can be prevented or easily treated if caught early. Some of these problems are skin conditions anyone can have, but people with diabetes get them more easily. These include bacterial infections, fungal infections, and itching. Other skin problems happen mostly or only to people with diabetes. These include diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic blisters, and eruptive xanthomatosis. Bacterial Infections Several kinds of bacterial infections occur in people with diabetes. One common type is styes. These are infections of the glands of the eyelid. Another kind of infection is boils, or infections of the hair follicles. Carbuncles are deep infections of the skin and the tissue underneath. Infections can also occur around the nails. Inflamed tissues are usually hot, swollen, red, and painful. Several different organisms can cause infections. The most common ones are the Staphylococcus bacteria, also called staph. Once, bacterial infections were life threatening, especially for people with diabetes. Today, death is rare, thanks to antibiotics and better methods of blood sugar control. But even today, people with diabetes have more bacterial infections than other people do. Doctors believe people with diabetes can reduce their chances of these infections in several ways (see “Good Skin Care” on page 15). If you think you have a bac Continue reading >>
Diabetes: 12 Warning Signs That Appear On Your Skin
Diabetes can affect many parts of your body, including your skin. When diabetes affects the skin, it’s often a sign that your blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. This could mean that: You have undiagnosed diabetes, or pre-diabetes Your treatment for diabetes needs to be adjusted If you notice any of the following warning signs on your skin, it’s time to talk with your doctor. This skin condition often begins as small raised solid bumps that look like pimples. As it progresses, these bumps turn into patches of swollen and hard skin. The patches can be yellow, reddish, or brown. You may also notice: The surrounding skin has a shiny porcelain-like appearance You can see blood vessels The skin is itchy and painful The skin disease goes through cycles where it is active, inactive, and then active again The medical name for this condition is necrobiosis lipodica (neck-row-by-oh-sis lee-poi-dee-ka). TAKE ACTION Get tested for diabetes if you have not been diagnosed. Work with your doctor to better control your diabetes. See a dermatologist about your skin. Necorbiosis lipodica is harmless, but it can lead to complications. A dark patch (or band) of velvety skin on the back of your neck, armpit, groin, or elsewhere could mean that you have too much insulin in your blood. AN is often a sign of prediabetes. The medical name for this skin condition is acanthosis nigricans (ay-can-THOE-sis NIE-gri-cans). TAKE ACTION: Get tested for diabetes. 3. Hard, thickening skin When this develops on the fingers, toes, or both, the medical name for this condition is digital sclerosis (sclear-row-sis). On the hands, you’ll notice tight, waxy skin on the backs of your hands. The fingers can become stiff and difficult to move. If diabetes has been poorly controlled for years, it can f Continue reading >>
10 Diabetic Skin Problems
1 / 11 Are You Suffering From a Diabetes-Related Skin Complication? About a third of people with diabetes will develop skin problems at some point. In fact, some skin issues can be warning signs of diabetes. The good news is that most skin conditions can be treated easily if they’re caught early. Keeping proper control of your blood sugar (glucose) can prevent skin problems and many other diabetes symptoms from happening in the first place. “For the most part, control of diabetes can help with related skin issues,” says Justin Ko, MD, the medical director and service chief of medical dermatology at Stanford Health Care, in Redwood City, California. “I’m always adamant that my diabetic patients take aggressive care of their skin and health in general. For the skin, moisturization, checking feet and legs daily for any blisters, sores, and skin breaks (especially between the toes), and nail care is extremely important. Nail and foot fungus can lead to skin cracks and breaks, allowing bacteria to enter and cause infection.” Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Skin Conditions
Diabetes can affect every part of the body, including the skin. Many people with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives. In some cases, skin problems can be the first sign that a person has diabetes. In some cases, people with diabetes develop skin conditions that can affect anyone. Examples of these conditions include bacterial infections, fungal infections, and itching. However, people with diabetes also are more prone to getting certain conditions. These include diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, and eruptive xanthomatosis. Some common skin conditions in people with diabetes: Acanthosis nigricans This is a condition that results in the darkening and thickening of the skin. Often, areas of tan or brown skin, sometimes slightly raised, appear on the sides of the neck, the armpits, and groin. Occasionally, these darkened areas might appear on the hands, elbows, and knees. Acanthosis nigricans can affect otherwise healthy people, or it can be associated with certain medical conditions. It is frequently found in people with diabetes. Allergic reactions Allergic reactions to foods, bug bites, and medicines can cause rashes, depressions or bumps on the skin. If you think you might be having an allergic reaction to a medicine, contact your health care provider. Severe allergic reactions might require emergency treatment. It is especially important for people with diabetes to check for rashes or bumps in the areas where they inject their insulin. Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of blood vessels thickening of the vessel walls. While atherosclerosis most often is associated with blood vessels in or near the heart, it can affect blood vessels throughout the body, including those that su Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Sebaceous Cysts
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community does anyone know of any relationship between diabetes and sebaceous cysts, thankyou. Am pumping this post up in the hope that you will get an answer. Can't say for sure that they are linked -but I did read it somewhere I think many moons ago so can't remember where - sorry :roll: I can give you my own expereince though - for about 3 years before diagnosis (I think I was diabetic for that time but undiagnosed) I had these on a regular basis and they were very sore - GP said it was pustular psorasis - but since diagnosed with D almost 2 years ago and getting my numbers in good control I haven't had a one! - so I think my doc was wrong and there is very likely a link (imho) Hello Raymond. There is a definate relationship between the two. Ive been plagued by them over the years and as you can imagine, there is nothing that bacteria love more than the sebaceous oil that is produced naturaly in every one. Try adding sugar to equation and hey ho,,, germ heaven. You dont say what your control has been like, but i presume its not too good. Try to keep working on it hun and hopefully you will get on top of these awefull cysts. Good luck. I suffer from these and my GP said it's fairly common for people with diabetes if their sugars aren't very well controlled.... mine aren't! I get them particularly in my groin area and they're extremely uncomfortable! Sometimes they get as big as golf balls in a big lump under the skin - horrid! My GP was pretty clued up on it and I now phone for antibiotics as soon as I get a flare up. It can get complicated when antibiotics aren't working but it helps to be able to get a swab of the fluid inside the cyst so they can give you Continue reading >>
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Common Skin Conditions For People With Type 2 Diabetes
Common skin conditions for people with type 2 diabetes People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing skin problems , or from complications of skin problems that have not been spotted soon enough, often because of reduced skin sensation. Most skin conditions can be prevented and successfully treated if caught early. However, if not cared for properly, a minor skin condition in a person with diabetes can turn into a serious problem with potentially severe consequences. Scleroderma diabeticorum : This condition causes a thickening of the skin on the back of the neck and upper back. This condition is rare but can affect people with type 2 diabetes . The treatment involves bringing your blood glucose level under control. Lotions and moisturisers may help soften the skin. Diabetic dermopathy: Also called shin spots, this condition develops as a result of changes to the blood vessels that supply the skin. Dermopathy appears as a shiny round or oval lesion of thin skin over the front lower parts of the lower legs. The patches do not hurt, although rarely they can be itchy or cause burning. Treatment is usually not necessary. Diabetic blisters (bullosis diabeticorum): In rare cases, people with diabetes develop blisters that resemble burn blisters. These blisters can occur on the fingers, hands, toes , feet , legs or forearms. Diabetic blisters are usually painless and heal on their own. They often occur in people who have severe diabetes and diabetic neuropathy . Bringing your blood glucose level under control is the treatment for this condition. Disseminated granuloma annulare : This condition causes sharply defined, ring or arc-shaped areas on the skin. These rashes most often occur on the fingers and ears , but they can occur on the chest and abdomen . The ras Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Skin Health
What Is Type 2 Diabetes? Skin problems are often the first visible signs of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetes can make existing skin problems worse, and also cause new ones. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition that affects how your body absorbs glucose (sugar). This happens when the body either rejects insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level. While it’s most common in adults, some children and adolescents can be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors include being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, and inactivity. While there is no cure, patients can manage their type 2 diabetes by eating well, exercising, and (in some cases) taking medications recommended by your doctor. Monitoring your blood sugar is also important. Sometimes even maintaining a healthy weight isn’t enough to manage this condition. In some cases, your doctor will determine that medication intervention is needed. Common treatments for type 2 diabetes include: insulin therapy (insulin “shots,” usually reserved for those who don’t do well with oral medications) sulfonylureas (medications that stimulate your pancreas to secrete more insulin) metformin (widely prescribed drug which increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin) DPP-4 inhibitors (medications which reduce blood sugar levels) Causes of Diabetes-Related Skin Problems Long-term type 2 diabetes with hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) tends to reduce blood flow to the skin. It can also cause damage to blood vessels and nerves. Decreased blood circulation can lead to changes in the skin’s collagen. This changes the skin’s texture, appearance, and ability to heal. Damage to the skin cells can Continue reading >>
Lumps/hard Spots Under Skin
I treat my diabetes with MDI. Lately, I have been getting lumps/hard spots under my skin where I take my injections. I have used different locations and still come up with these lumps. Has anyone else who uses MDI had this situation? If so, how did you take care of it, or did the lumps disappear on their own? I have tried massaging my injection points right after to get insulin circulating. D.D. Family Getting much harder to control Yes I get them and they have gone away after a few months, I dont get them often but they do happen. I get them A LOT. All you need to do is give that area a break and do the injections somewhere else. Also, massaging the area after injecting seems to help a lot for me so it's not pooled under there. Its scar tissue. When I was on MDI I got this all the time. Sometimes my skin would bruise. I would rotate the site every shot. Alternate arms and all that jazz. me too. especially on my tummy as thats the only place i dont bruise so its my favourite spot! i was advised to make sure im pinching just the skin and fat so im not injecting into muscle. also i might be moving on from 5mm to 4mm needles as im quite slim. in my case because ive been injecting for 15years the skin on my injection sites (top of the bum, sides and top of the thighs and stomach) is noticablly tougher and thicker. for me its a good reason to go on the pump! Has anyone ever noticed that the insulin doesn't soak into the skin on the top of your thighs? Mine probably.. 70% of the time don't and i have to sit there and rub it in til it does. I also never do it there, so it's not like i'm overusing it? Could i be injecting into muscle because sometimes it makes the top of my thighs feel weird also? Sorry if this is off topic but the person above mentioned about injecting on top Continue reading >>
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The Lumps And Bumps Of Diabetes: Understanding Lipohypertrophy
Do you manage your diabetes with insulin? If you answered “yes,” then I strongly encourage you to read the following article. The focus of this article is lipohypertrophy; as this word is quite a mouthful to say, it is often shortened to LH. So what exactly is lipohypertrophy (LH)? Lipohypertrophy is the most common skin lesion (abnormal skin condition) that occurs with insulin injections. LH is an abnormal accumulation of fatty tissue under the skin at the site where insulin is injected. When touched, these areas feel hard and/or rubbery. On visual inspection LH may look like a lump or bump. How common is lipohypertrophy? The reported prevalence of LH, in patients receiving insulin, varies widely. However, is it estimated that approximately 50 percent of those with diabetes (*using insulin) have some degree of LH. Health care providers should be inspecting injection sites at each appointment as part of the regular examination. However, as one study noted, according to patient reports, only about 30 percent of patients had their injection sites inspected at every appointment. Areas that develop lipohypertrophy often lose sensation over time; as a result, these areas become favored over other injection areas as there is less discomfort. This in turn may further worsen LH. What causes lipohypertrophy? Lipohypertrophy results from repeatedly injecting insulin into the same site. How does lipohypertrophy impact diabetes control? Reduced insulin absorption Studies have reported that insulin being injected into areas with LH may block insulin absorption by as much as 34 percent. Post meal blood glucose levels can range from 17 percent to 54 percent higher in those injecting insulin into areas with LH. Unexplained hypoglycemia The occurrence of unexplained hypoglycemia may Continue reading >>
Skin Problems In Diabetes
If you have diabetes, it’s important to be aware of potentially serious skin problems related to the disease and see your doctor before the problem gets out of control. In most cases, skin problems in diabetes can be managed with early diagnosis and treatment. you might like Scleroderma diabeticorum: While rare, this skin problem affects people with type 2 diabetes, causing a thickening of the skin on the back of the neck and upper back. The treatment is to bring your blood sugar level under control. Lotions and moisturizers may help soften skin. Vitiligo: Vitiligo, a skin problem more commonly associated with type 1 diabetes than type 2 diabetes, affects skin coloration. With vitiligo, the special cells that make pigment (the substance that controls skin color) are destroyed, resulting in patches of discolored skin. Vitiligo often affects the chest and abdomen, but may be found on the face around the mouth, nostrils, and eyes. Current treatment options for vitiligo include topical steroids and micropigmentation (tattooing). If you have vitiligo, you should use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn on the discolored skin. Acanthosis nigricans. This is a skin problem that results in the darkening and thickening of certain areas of the skin especially in the skin folds. The skin becomes tan or brown and is sometimes slightly raised and described as velvety. Most often the condition, which typically looks like small warts, appears on the sides or back of the neck, the armpits, under the breast, and groin. Occasionally the top of the knuckles will have a particularly unusual appearance. Acanthosis nigricans usually strikes people who are very overweight. While there is no cure for acanthosis nigricans, losing weight may improve the skin condition. Acant Continue reading >>
Am I Injecting Insulin Properly?
Is it possible to get hard lumps under the skin when injecting insulin? I have experienced this problem while injecting more than one type of insulin, and I know the lumps are not from using the same injection site over and over again because I always rotate injection sites. But I also noticed when I took my postprandial blood glucose reading that I was up higher than normal. I'm curious as to whether the insulin is getting distributed correctly. Continue reading >>
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Diabetes And Your Skin
Protecting Your Outermost Layer The phrase “feeling comfortable in your own skin” is usually used figuratively to describe a level of self-confidence or self-acceptance. But when your skin itches, hurts, flakes, breaks out, changes color, or just doesn’t look or feel the way you’d like it to, the phrase can take on a new, very literal meaning. Diabetes can affect the skin in a number of ways that can make a person feel less than comfortable. In fact, as many as a third of people with diabetes will have a skin condition at some point in their lifetime. While some conditions may appear uniquely in people with diabetes, others are simply more common in people with diabetes. The good news is that a fair number of these conditions are treatable or can be prevented by maintaining blood glucose control and taking good daily care of your skin. Dry, itchy skin Dry skin can occur as a result of high blood glucose. When the blood glucose level is high, the body attempts to remove excess glucose from the blood by increasing urination. This loss of fluid from the body causes the skin to become dry. Dry skin can also be caused by neuropathy (damage to the nerves) by affecting the nerves that control the sweat glands. In these cases, neuropathy causes a decrease or absence of sweating that may lead to dry, cracked skin. Cold, dry air and bathing in hot water can aggravate dry skin. Dryness commonly leads to other skin problems such as itching (and often scratching), cracking, and peeling. Any small breaks in the skin leave it more exposed to injury and infection. It is therefore important to keep skin well moisturized. The best way to moisturize is to apply lotion or cream right after showering and patting the skin dry. This will seal in droplets of water that are present on t Continue reading >>
Diabetes Sugar Lumps Under Skin
Posted on March 19, 2013 | No Comments on Diabetes Sugar Lumps under Skin The sugar lumps the develop under skin common among diabetic patients is actually termed as lipohypertrophy , a condition characterized by is lump in the skin which is actually a fatty tissue. This fatty lumps usually develops at or around the skin site where insulin is usually injected by the diabetic patient. The diabetes lump is essentially caused by injecting insulin repeatedly into the same area of the skin. The injection of insulin in the same area caused the body to react by accumulating extra fat in the area. Lipohypertrophy or the fatty lumps in the skin is common and minor problem among diabetics. It has no bad effect to the person save for its aesthetic disadvantage. Obviously, the fatty lumps look unpleasant and ugly, much like any other fat for that matter. Some doctors however argue that the accumulation of fat in the affected area can possibly lengthen the time for the insulin to be absorbed by the body if injected in the same area because of the fat. While there may be a very slight delay, the interval would not be that long so as to lead to hypoglycemia. The only way to treat lipohypertrophy or to remove the sugar fatty lumps under the skin is to refrain from injecting insulin in the same area of the body. The fatty lumps or lipohypertrophy will slowly disappear in a few months after injections in the area of the skin are avoided. Some doctors would advise not to inject in the affected skin area for 2 to three months to fully heal or for the lump to fully disappear. It is further advised the diabetic patients rotate their injections among several areas to avoid lumpy skin to develop. This is called rotating your injection site. Among the possible sites that can be injected includ Continue reading >>
