July 10, 2002
Other Illnesses
Question from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA:
My seven year old daughter (diagnosed about four months ago) has had a problem with dry skin on her hands for about a year. Before she was diagnosed it became really bad. The skin on the top of her hands was bleeding and cracked. When she was admitted the doctors mentioned something about her hands, but they got better by the time she was discharged.
For the last week or so her hands are very rough again, not quite as bad as when she was diagnosed but still very rough and itchy. Is this a sign that she is going high between the times that we test her?
Answer:
No, I do not believe that this is likely. Eczema (I think this is what your daughter has) varies according to many things — time of year (usually better in summer), general health, diet, viral infections, etc. The treatment may temporarily involve strong steroid creams which can adversely affect blood sugars but adjustment in insulin usually resolves this.
KJR
