Dry Skin Might Be a Sign of Serious Health Problems
What is Dry Skin?
Almost everyone has dry skin, and it is usually nothing to be alarmed about. Just continue to use lotion or a moisturizer. Dry skin becomes a concern when it remains parched and itchy no matter how much moisturizer you use.
If you have a serious dry skin problem, it might not be dry skin that is a concern. Dry skin could be a sign that something else is going on within your body.
Dry skin could be a warning sign of four serious conditions.
- oncoming diabetes
- underactive thyroid
- kidney disease
- skin cancer
Sign of Diabetes
Dr. Helene Rosenzweig, a California-based dermatologist affiliated with UCLA Medical School, says it's not unusual for diabetes to affect the skin and cause it to be dry and flaky.
When a diabetic's blood sugar levels become extremely high, the body loses fluid faster, and the skin becomes dehydrated. The skin also loses its ability to perspire normally. Therefore, there is much less moisture on the skin.
Whenever a person's skin becomes really dry, it becomes cracked and vulnerable to bacteria that feed on glucose. This could leave the diabetic open to potentially dangerous infections.
If you are concerned about how dry your skin is, let your physician khow about it.
Sign of Underactive Thyroid
A person's skin might become dry and rough because of an underactive thyroid. Thyroid hormones have receptors in the skin and when they become low or lost, a person will begin to feel cold until the new cells are replaced.
Watch out for long-lasting dry and rough skin.
Sign of Kidney Disease
Dry skin might be a sign that a person has a kidney disease. Over 26 million adults have a kidney disease. Most of them don't know it because the symptoms often point to something else.
Joseph Vassalotti, MD, chief medical officer at the National Kidney Foundation suggests that dry, itchy skin is a sign that's easily overlooked. When the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood, a person often suffers from dry skin.
Sign of Skin Cancer
When people have dry and rough skin that bleeds, they should see a doctor because there might be something more serious than just dry skin. It could be a sign of skin cancer.
Causes of Dry Skin
Weather is the reason some people get dry skin. A person's occupation also has a lot to do with it. Examples include doctors and nurses who have to wash their hands throughout the day. This dries out skin and causes it to become dry and cracked.
Age has a lot to do with dry skin. Anyone over 40 can attest to that. As people age, their skin becomes dryer because the skin becomes thinner.
Diet also contributes to dry skin. If a person does not get enough of the right nutrients, he will probably end up with dry skin. The food that might be lacking is omega-3 fats, which are necessary to help normalize the skin fats and prevent dehydration in the cells.
Things To Do About Dry Skin
There are some things people can do to prevent dry skin and to cure dry skin once they get it.
- Drink more water. When the outer layer of your skin lacks water, it will become rough and dry. If you are drinking enough water, your urine will be a very pale yellow.
- Eat fresh vegetables or drink fresh vegetable juice. Some people have discovered that a simple way to ensure that they are getting enough fresh vegetables in their diet is to juice them.
- Eat fermented vegetables. Healthy skin is linked to the health of your intestines; therefore, fermented vegetables are good for promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
- Increase omega-3 intake to help normalize skin fats and prevent dehydration in cells. Fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 fats.
- Avoid eating sugars, fructose, grains, and processed foods. If you eliminate these from your diet, within a few weeks, there will be a noticeable improvement in your complexion.
- Use coconut oil. This is an easy way to eliminate dry skin. Use coconut oil as a great moisturizer that helps to reduce dry skin. According to physiologist and biochemist Dr. Ray Peat, coconut oil is considered to be an antioxidant that helps exfoliate the outer layer of dead skin cells and makes your skin smoother.
- Use moisturizing body lotion. Doctors recommend a lotion, such as AmLactin that goes beyond those little bottles of lotion found in hotel rooms or cheap lotion you can purchase from a Dollar Store. AmLactin has ingredients that keep skin smooth and soft. This type of lotion is more expensive, but it gets the job done.
Watch the video below to see other things you can do to help you with dry skin. Also, please share tips below if you have some that others might want to know about.
Do you have dry skin?
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