If you have skin tags, or someone you know has skin tags reading this could save your lives. Skin tags, generally known as harmless growths because of their benign makeup, could actually be alerting you to some serious diseases that could be prevented if caught early enough.
The appearance of skin tags could be signaling to you that your body is having a tough time absorbing the insulin your body is creating, especially if skin tags appearing coincide with a recent weight gain. High blood sugar affects your blood circulation which can change the elasticity of your skin making it easy for skin tags to appear. Have your blood sugar tested if this sounds like your situation.
One of the most dangerous disorders that skin tags could be flagging is heart disease. When a few risk factors such as high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, belly fat and high blood pressure all come together, it is known as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome puts you at higher risk for a heart attack and can cause skin tags to appear as a warning sign.
Skin tags themselves are benign tumors that commonly appear on adults. They are less common in children and this sets off alarm bells for doctors as it could be a sign of a more serious disease that increases the risk of developing tumors, both cancerous and not, throughout their lifetime. A skin tag found on a child should not be left unchecked. Although doctors will rarely send a removed skin tag on an adult for checking, they will almost always send a skin tag removed from a child to the laboratory due to the serious dangers it could be signaling.
This disorder of the stomach and intestines is probably one of the lesser known diseases that cause skin tags. Because skin tags form around the anus due to hemorrhoid swelling that occurs during a Crohn’s flare up, people don’t often talk about it. Although skin tags are not necessarily a symptom of Crohn’s disease, they do commonly appear on those suffering with it. If you recognize any of the other symptoms of Crohn’s disease and find that you have skin tags, it is a strong sign that you should speak to your doctor.
Hormone imbalances are one of the more difficult disorders to diagnose because our bodies are constantly changing hormonally. Hormones play an important role in our skin’s health, so paying attention to it can give you answers you didn’t even know you were looking for.