Here’s what to know about itching and diabetes, how you can manage it, and when to see a healthcare provider to get relief.
What Is Itching?
Itchy skin that creates an almost irresistible impulse to scratch is very common. The medical name for itching is pruritus. The sensation is caused by either irritated nerve cells called C fibers or skin cells themselves. When itching is a symptom of diabetes, it’s due to high blood sugar, which can cause:
Dry skinPoor circulationCertain infections, such as vaginal yeast infections
Is Itching a Symptom of Diabetes?
Itching can be a symptom of diabetes or prediabetes, which is when your blood sugar is nearing a diabetic level. High blood sugar can make you itch in several ways.
Dry Skin
When you have too much sugar, or glucose, in your bloodstream, your body will try to get rid of it by pulling fluid from the cells 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 blood sugar can also damage the skin barrier (how the skin protects the underlying tissues), which makes you more prone to react to irritants by itching, or even lead to infection. High glucose levels in the blood can also trigger an immune system reaction that releases cytokines (inflammatory agents) that cause itching.
Poor Circulation
Diabetes can affect your circulation by damaging the lining of the blood vessels so they deliver blood and nutrients less efficiently. That can lead to diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage that’s common among people with diabetes.
The farthest body part from your heart—your legs—are most vulnerable to decreased circulation. People with diabetic neuropathy often itch, particularly in the lower legs.
Yeast Infection
Diabetes can make people more vulnerable to yeast infections. High glucose levels in the blood and urine can lead to an overgrowth of yeast in the vagina. Vaginal itching from a vaginal yeast infection can be intense.
Treatment and Management of Diabetic Itching
Keeping your blood sugar controlled with a healthy lifestyle and taking medications your provider has prescribed can help not only with itching but also with your general health. Itching can also be managed by following these tips:
Keep your skin well-moisturized by using a cream moisturizer rather than a lotion. Keep your skin clean and dry it promptly. Shower or bathe in warm, not hot, water. Consider using a humidifier at home during cold weather. Try over-the-counter (OTC) anti-itch creams containing cortisone. Exercise can help your circulation, which may help prevent neuropathy.
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Itchy skin is an annoyance, but if you have diabetes, it may be a sign that you have or are at risk for nerve damage. It can also signal prediabetes, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. If you have tingling or numbness as well as itchy feet, see your healthcare provider or your diabetes team.
If your skin is dry enough to be cracking and flaking, your healthcare provider can recommend a prescription or OTC medication to help. It’s important to go to all follow-up appointments so that your healthcare provider can monitor your blood sugar and general health, as well as address the symptom of itching.
Summary
Itching is a common symptom of diabetes. It can be due to dry skin, poor circulation that leads to diabetic neuropathy, or yeast infections. Keeping your skin well-moisturized and hydrated can help with the itch, and anti-itch creams, often containing cortisone, are available over the counter.
Itching may not seem serious, but see your healthcare provider if you have high blood sugar and your feet itch, which could be a sign of nerve damage. If your skin is dry and cracking, and the itching interrupts your sleep or daily activities, your healthcare provider can recommend stronger prescription anti-itch creams.
A Word From Verywell
Itching is no fun, and scratching only makes it worse. Not only can it damage your skin, but you’re entering the dreaded itch-scratch cycle, in which scratching might feel good but makes the itching worse, so you scratch more.
If you have high blood sugar, you are at risk of developing itchy skin. Itching can be intense and even make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. With good skin care, paying attention to your feet, and getting help from your healthcare provider as needed, you may be able to alleviate the worst of it and get on with your life.
