Let me be very clear when I start this: I have dry elbows. Many people have dry elbows. If you suffer from the moistureless malady yourself, there’s a high chance you don’t need to worry.
Common (relatively harmless) causes for dry elbows include a change in climate (hi, autumn), irritating lotions and scents, a lack of hydration, chlorine, hot showers, smoking, and certain medications.
More serious causes include psoriasis and eczema, which doctors say is worth a check-in, especially if it seriously disrupts your life or if you suspect infection.
But dry elbows can, sometimes, also be a sign of diabetes, thyroid issues, and Sjogren’s syndrome. So, we thought we’d share the signs that dry elbows might warrant a trip to the doctor:
1) Thyroid problems
Medical News Today shared that, alongside dry elbows, the condition might also have the following symptoms:
- thinning hair
- an itchy scalp and dandruff
- brittle or crumbly nails
- protruding eyes.
2) Diabetes
Spikes in blood sugar can cause itchy, dry skin in those affected with diabetes. Other symptoms include:
- darker, velvet-like patches
- thick, waxy patches on the fingers, toes, and other areas of the body
- infections
- wounds that take ages to heal ― especially on feet.
3) Sjogren’s syndrome
The autoimmune condition is commonly associated with dry skin, so it makes sense that elbows are no exception. The NHS lists other symptoms as:
- dry eyes
- a dry mouth
- dry skin
- tiredness
- vaginal dryness
- muscle or joint pain
- swelling between the jaw and ears (swollen salivary glands)
- rashes (especially after being in the sun).
Dry skin is usually harmless
Most dry skin isn’t worth worrying about. But if you suspect any of the conditions above, or if your dry skin is inflamed, painful, infected, has open sores, covers a large area of your body, and/or disrupts your daily or nightly routine, it might be worth popping in to your GP.