Can heart or liver diseases affect the appearance of the skin? Yes! Our body is a system of interconnected systems and organs that interact with each other. Many diseases are manifested by skin changes that may prove helpful in their diagnosis.

Contents:

  1. Liver disease causes skin symptoms
  2. Skin symptoms - circulatory system disorders
  3. Thyroid problems that can be seen on the skin
  4. Diabetes causes skin symptoms
  5. Skin symptoms of rheumatic diseases
  6. Skin symptoms with hormonal disorders
  7. Vein problems and skin symptoms

Usuallyskin lesionsare recognized as an effect of allergy or neglect of hygiene. In such cases, the doctor recommends the use of ointments with glucocorticosteroids. Sometimes it turns out that it is unnecessary, because the cause lies elsewhere. Why is this happening?

Not infrequently, the doctor does not have time to thoroughly analyze allskinand non-cutaneous symptoms occurring in the patient. But more often the patient reports only one complaint, shows one skin lesion and does not even mention any other symptoms he or she has noticed. And it is precisely some internal diseases that give rise to very characteristic changes in the skin. Therefore, we should carefully observe our skin - a change in color, hydration, loss or appearance of hair, excessive sweating, persistent itching may be a sign of a developing skin disease. It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the hair and nails.

Liver disease causes skin symptoms

Liver problems manifest themselves differently on the skin. Some are characteristic of cirrhosis of the liver, others are associated with autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

The most prominent symptom of liver disease is yellowing of the skin. It is associated with high levels of bilirubin in the blood caused by jaundice.

Itching of the skin is the most common and worrying symptom of liver and biliary diseases. It can be of various severity, but it always significantly reduces the quality of life. With liver disease, itching usually affects the hands and feet. It is believed that the cause of severe itching may be a high concentration of bile acids in the blood, their s alts and bilirubin.

Another symptom of liver diseases is palmar erythema,which covers the inside of her (the ball of hands or the ball of the ball). It occurs in 75 percent of people with cirrhosis. But the same symptom can signal hyperthyroidism, rheumatic disease, tuberculosis, collagenosis (connective tissue diseases), and malignant tumors. Sometimes it also occurs in he althy pregnant women. Along with palmar erythema, erythema may also appear on the soles of the feet.

Chronic liver disease may lead to hair loss on the forearms, armpits and on the pubic mound. Another symptom of chronic liver disease may be yellow tufts, i.e. yellow tufts - soft, yellowish lumps appearing on the eyelids near the nose. Patients with chronic hepatitis B or C may develop hives or erythema on the inside of the hand.

Skin symptoms - circulatory system disorders

Changes in the skin and mucous membranes often accompany cardiovascular diseases and may indicate their advancement. For a congenital heart defect called cyanosis, a violet-blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes is characteristic, which is related to the lower oxygenation of the blood.

Another feature are the so-called stick fingers. They look like drumsticks. In this disease, the entire first phalanges are thickened, and the nails are convex like a glass in an old watch.

On the other hand, the dark red color of the skin on the face, hands, feet and turbinates may be a symptom of polycythemia true or secondary - diseases caused by hypoxia and increased production of erythropoietin, a hormone produced in the liver and kidneys.

Erythema on palms may suggest congestive heart failure.

Brown patches on the skin and loss of armpit and pubic hair may indicate a build-up of iron in the heart, leading to cardiomyopathy.

With excessive blood cholesterol, which promotes the development of atherosclerosis, yellow tufts may appear under the skin.

Red-blue spots on the skin, although they are rare, may be a consequence of infective endocarditis. Petechiae resembling a stuck in a splinter may also appear under the nails of the fingers and toes.

Pale or blue skin and dry skin with trophic changes (discoloration, eczema, induration) often accompany heart failure.

Thyroid problems that can be seen on the skin

  • Hyperthyroidism

The essence of this disease is the excessive secretion of thyroid hormones (thyroxine - T4 and triiodothyronine - T3), which - simplifying the problem - leads to an acceleration of the pacemetabolism and consequently to systemic disorders. Patients with hyperthyroidism have delicate, warm skin (the so-called velvety skin), which, due to excessive sweating, is constantly moist. The manifestation of the disease is also a clear dermographism, i.e. a type of urticaria, an allergic reaction after mechanical irritation of the skin. It is often said that you can write on such leather. Other changes that are easy to spot are brittleness and hair loss, as well as brittle and split nails.

  • Hypothyroidism

Deficiency of thyroid hormones leads to slower metabolism and multi-organ disorders - weight gain, edema, tendency to bradycardia (slower heartbeat), constipation and psychomotor slowing down. The skin of people with hypothyroidism is pale, often cold, and scaly (usually on the elbows and knees). There is also a symptom called "dirty elbows and knees", ie clearly darker skin of these parts of the body. Patients sweat less. Nail dullness and brittleness are also characteristic. Hair is devoid of shine, difficult to style and prone to falling out.

  • Hashimoto's disease

It belongs to the inflammation of the thyroid gland and has an autoimmune basis. This disease may coexist with dermatological diseases such as vitiligo, alopecia areata, and hyperkeratosis of the skin of the hands and feet.

  • Primary hypoparathyroidism

The manifestation of the disease may be dry, rough skin prone to keratosis. The nails become dull and may have transverse furrows. Hair is coarse, stiff and prone to falling out.

Diabetes causes skin symptoms

Diabetic skin problems are most often excessive dryness, itching and flaking. The skin of a diabetic patient is much more delicate than that of a he althy person. The list of skin conditions affecting diabetics, suffering from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, is very long. The symptoms may be closely related to the disease itself or result from the use of insulin. However, all types of illnesses are more common in people with so-called uncontrolled diabetes, i.e. fluctuating, unstable blood sugar levels.

The main cause of skin hypersensitivity in diabetics is vascular changes (diabetic angiopathy), which can affect both larger and smaller vessels. The result of the impairment of the vascular system are brownish spots, discoloration formed as a result of mini-infusions (extravasations) mainly on the shins.

Progressive atrophy of the sebaceous and sweat glands leadsto weaken the skin's natural defensive barrier and, as a result, to increasing transepidermal water loss and increasing dryness, often associated with persistent itching. Adequate hygiene and care are helpful here, supported by emollient preparations, rich in nutrients, moisturizing and soothing itching.

Diabetic blush often occurs in young people due to poorer blood supply to the skin. It is easy to recognize, because the skin is very red on the cheeks, forehead, and sometimes also on the lower legs and feet. Erythema often causes eyelashes and eyebrows to fall out because it dilates the capillaries of the skin.

Excessive hair may develop around the navel and between the shoulder blades. Such abnormalities can even precede the onset of diabetes itself. Type 2 diabetes is often accompanied by vitiligo, or plaque melanocyte atrophy.

Moreover, diabetes is characterized by difficult wound healing. Diabetic skin is also very susceptible to yeast and fungal infections. The most common are tinea pedis and onychomycosis. Yeast infections (candidiasis) attack not only the skin, but also the mucosa of the reproductive organs, the mouth and even the stomach. Small spots appear in the folds of the body, armpits, groin and under the breasts that itch and hurt. Candidiasis can also occur as a systemic disease. Then the body is covered with huge red spots from which the plasma is oozing.

People who are allergic to insulin develop dimples or lumps at the injection site. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this. The only advice is to change the injection site.

People with impaired peripheral nerves (diabetic neuropathy) develop a condition called diabetic foot. In the sick leg to the so-called tingling and sometimes burning of the skin appear. The foot is always dry because the sweat glands are not working. The skin on the heels can be cracked, has many corns and calluses.

Skin symptoms of rheumatic diseases

In typical rheumatic diseases, skin lesions rarely occur, although reddening of the skin over the inflamed joints may be considered such. In collagen diseases (connective tissue diseases), changes in the skin and subcutaneous tissue are very common. In lupus erythematosus, skin lesions occur in as many as 70% of patients. Butterfly-shaped erythema on the cheeks and the bridge of the nose is characteristic. In addition, the skin is hypersensitive to the rays of the sun. Violet butterfly erythema on the face and whitish atrophic patches are typical in polymyositis or dermatomyositis. In systemic scleroderma, it first appears on the skinswelling develops, then the skin hardens and fades away. In advanced scleroderma, the skin is parchment-like and tight.

Skin symptoms with hormonal disorders

Hormonal disorders - the malfunction of female hormones is the main cause of discoloration called melasm (chloasma) or chloasma. These changes occur mainly in women, where the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the overproduction of melanin when the skin comes in contact with the sun's rays. Melasma is more common in pregnant and dark-skinned women. It is sometimes referred to as a pregnancy mask. But the presence of such discoloration can also be a symptom of some autoimmune or gastric diseases that are associated with a metabolic disorder or vitamin C deficiency.

Vein problems and skin symptoms

They begin with the appearance of a mesh of tiny blood vessels under the skin. Over time, baggy or fusiform broadening of the superficial veins form. The skin is red and warmer than anywhere else on the leg. Chronic inflammation of the skin has a brownish tinge. These changes most often occur on the calves, and an additional symptom of venous disease is itching, subcutaneous ecchymosis and eczema. If the varicose veins are not treated, a leg ulcer may develop on the inside of the leg.

Read also:

Nail changes - what disease do they signal? [Gallery] Unusual symptoms of diseases that make diagnosis difficult

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

Read more articles by this author

Category:

Research