Diabetes affects the level of blood glucose, the main source of fuel for cells, in the bloodstream. Diabetes may destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that decrease the level of available blood glucose, or diabetes may cause the cells to become resistant to the action of insulin. According to MayoClinic.com, symptoms vary by diabetes type, but they may include the formation of skin blisters in certain circumstances.
Friction
Friction blisters occur in diabetics due to a variety of factors. Neuropathy, or nerve damage, causes diabetics to lose feeling in the hands and feet. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reveals that because of this numbness, diabetics often cannot tell if shoes are ill-fitting. Poorly fitting shoes may rub the foot and cause blisters. Under normal circumstances, a blister created in this manner wouldn't present a health risk, but diabetics have poor circulation, putting them in danger of infection complications.
Candida Albicans
Candida albicans, a fungal infection, may affect diabetics by causing blisters. The American Diabetes Association lists the infection as the fungal contagion most often found in those with diabetes. Candida albicans presents an itchy, red rash surrounded by blisters and scales that occur in warm, moist folds of skin -- such as the area under breasts, between the fingers and toes, under the foreskin, in the armpits and groin. Prescription medication treats the fungal infection in diabetics, effectively clearing up the blisters.
Blood Glucose
Diabetics may randomly develop blisters on the fingers, hands, feet, toes, legs or forearms for seemingly no reason at all. This condition, known as bullosis diabeticorum, rarely occurs; but when it does, it affects those with severe diabetes and diabetic neuropathy. Physicians don't understand exactly what causes it, but it likely relates to blood glucose level, since the only medical treatment for the condition involves bringing the blood glucose level under control.
