When dry elbows could mean serious health problems and what to look for
Many of us have dry elbows and it's usually nothing to worry about.
Extremely common causes include not drinking enough fluids, a simple change in climate, hot showers, irritating lotions and scents, certain medicines and even smoking. Your body can tell you all kinds of things about your health, but one place most of us never dream of checking is our elbows.
But they can throw up warning signs just like anywhere else, with more troubling causes including psoriasis and eczema, which doctors advise is worth checking out, particularly 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 the little-known Sjogren’s syndrome, reports HuffPost UK.
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Thyroid problems
Medical News Today shared that, alongside dry elbows, the condition might also have the following symptoms:
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Thinning hair
An itchy scalp and dandruff
Brittle or crumbly nails
Protruding eyes.
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.
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:
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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).
Remember that dry skin is usually harmless
It is important to remember that most dry skin isn’t worth worrying about. But if you suspect any of the conditions above, or if your dry skin is infected, inflamed, painful, has open sores, covers a large area of your body, and/or disrupts your daily or night-time routine, it might be worth a visit to your GP.
Other much more common problems affecting the elbows include:
Eczema
Eczema can break out anywhere on the body, but it's especially common on the inside of the elbows, as well as the hands and the back of the knees in adults. This pesky problem causes skin to become dry, itchy, dry, cracked and sore, often leading to looking red and inflamed on white skin and darker brown, purple or grey on brown or black skin
The most common form, atopic eczema, varies from mild to severe and sufferers can experience flare-ups as often as two or three times a month.
Tennis elbow
This can occur repeatedly using the muscles of the forearm that sit near your elbow joint, in activities such as tennis - which is where the name derives from.
Also known as lateral epicondylitis, it's a swelling or tearing of the tendons that bend your wrist backward away from your palm. It can often make it hard to extend your arm and you might notice pain in your elbow and travelling down your forearm when:
- Gripping small objects like pens
Lifting or bending your arm
- Twisting your forearm, such as turning a door handle or opening a jar
Anyone with the affliction should avoid aggravating it and rest for a few days, but see a GP if symptoms don't improve.
Psoriasis
The NHS says psoriasis is a skin condition that causes flaky patches of skin which form scales. It can affect any part of the body, but usually appears on the elbows, knees, or scalp. The condition affects about two in every 100 people in the UK. A GP can help with treatment.
Bursitis
Bursitis is when a joint becomes painful and swollen. It can usually be treated at home and should go away in a few weeks. It happens when the fluid-filled sacs - called bursa - that cushion your joints become inflamed.
If you receive a hard blow to your elbow, your bursa can excrete excess fluid and swell, causing a pocket of liquid to form over the pointy bit and the skin on the back of the elbow to become loose. According to health website OrthoInfo, plumbers are particularly susceptible to it.
The NHS says you could have bursitis if one of your joints is:
- Painful – often a dull, achy pain
- Tender or warmer than surrounding skin
- Swollen
- More painful when you move it or press on it
It is advisable to rest your elbow, ice it and take painkillers, but see a GP if you're still concerned.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is when a tendon swells (becomes inflamed) after an injury. It can cause joint pain and stiffness, and affect how a tendon moves, says the NHS. If affected, you could well experience pain in your elbow - or other joints - and stiffness, while not being able to move it around properly. Any mild injuries can be treated at home with ice packs, rest and bandaging if needed.
Joint infection
The following can be a sign of septic arthritis, which is a serious joint infection.
- Severe joint pain in places like your elbow that starts suddenly
- Swelling around it
- A change in the colour of your skin around the joint
- A high temperature or feel hot and shivery and generally unwell
NHS guidance stresses that symptoms of septic arthritis usually develop quickly over a few days and need to be checked by a medical professional immediately.
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