Diabetes symptoms and high blood sugar warning signs on your skin – Leicestershire Live

More than 6,000 people in Leicester are estimated to have diabetes without realising it
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It's estimated around half a million people in the UK have diabetes, but don't know it. That's on top of the almost four million who have been diagnosed with the condition.
Type 2 diabetes – by far the most common – can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease or stroke. But in many cases can be prevented. Around 90 per cent of people with diabetes in the UK have type 2, according to the NHS.
Rates of diabetes in Leicester are higher than the national average, with almost 1 in 10 people in the city living with the condition. More than 6,000 people in Leicester are estimated to have diabetes without realising it.
READ MORE: More than 6,000 people in Leicester are living with diabetes but do not know it, study finds
Diabetes causes high blood sugar, which can also lead to permanent damage to the eyes, nerves, kidneys, blood vessels and other parts of the body over a long period of time. There are warning signs to look out for which may indicate you have high blood sugar – and some of them appear on your skin, reports the Echo.
People with diabetes may develop yellow, reddish or brown patches on the skin, known as Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum (NLD). This tends to affects more people with type 1 diabetes, though the cause is unknown.
NLD affects the shins and appears gradually, with the skin becoming thin and ulcerate. It can then leave a brownish scar when it heals.
Another common skin issue is what's known as Diabetic Dermopathy. This condition is also known as shin spots and leaves round, raised lesions that can turn into ulcers.
NHS guidance advises people should see a GP if they experience the main symptoms of diabetes. These symptoms include:
The NHS says many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general. Type 1 diabetes, where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin, can develop quickly over weeks or even days.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. It is caused by the amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach).
When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes. You can help manage type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
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