9 skin conditions that could signal a more serious problem

Many internal health conditions can cause symptoms in the skin.INSIDER spoke with a dermatologist about some skin signs of internal illness.Conditions like lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and over- or underactive thyroid can affect the skin in distinctive ways.The skin is your body's largest organ, so it's not too surprising that many internal illnesses can cause changes to the skin, too."In a way, you can think of your skin as a window into the internal body," Dr. Kathleen Suozzi, assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, told INSIDER. "The vast majority of different medical conditions can manifest with complications, reactions, or findings on the skin."Compiling a list of every skin symptom of every internal illness would be difficultSuozzi characterized this as a "huge" topic to which "whole textbooks" are dedicatedbut there are some distinctive skin changes that may be early signs of serious systemic health conditions.Read on to learn about some examples.1. Itching"Sometimes if a patient has intractable itch, we'll check ...to make sure they don't have Hodgkin lymphoma," Suozzi said. "Rarely, that can be a presenting sign."Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, and the mostcommon symptom of the disease is an enlarged lymph node in the neck, the armpit or the groin, according to the American Cancer Society.It's also important to remember that there are many, many other health conditions that aren't cancer that can also cause itchy skin.2. Thicker, darker skin on some parts of the bodySuozzi said that a condition called acanthosis nigricans (AN), in which the skin thickens and darkens in certain areas, can be a sign that someone has diabetes."It's an area of hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin, that occurs in the skin folds," she said. "Classically [it happens] in the back of the neck, or in the creases of the arms. Especially in kids, that's a sign that you might want to check them for diabetes."The condition can also occur in completely healthy people or happen because of certain medications or other conditions, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).3. Warm, sweaty skin or cold, dry skinAn overactive or underactive thyroid can cause changes in how your skin feels, Suozzi explained. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck. It releases hormones that work to regulate metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and more. But in some people, the thyroid can be overactive, making more thyroid hormones than the body requires (a.k.a. hyperthyroidism), or underactive, making too little ( a.k.a. hypothyroidism). Both conditions lead to a wide array of possible symptoms across the whole body, including the skin.Read more: 17 things you need to know about your thyroidbecause it controls a lot more in your body than youd think"In general, with overactive thyroid, your skin is warm and moist due to increased sweating, versus underactive thyroid, [when the skin] can be cold, pale, rough, and dry," Suozzi said.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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