Why Does a Diabetic's Face Get Puffy

In some cases, the patients with Diabetes may get puffy in face. The puffiness usually can last for a long or very short period. Why the patients with Diabetes suffer from puffiness in face? Is it related to other health problem?


In fact, puffiness in face for Diabetes patients is mainly attributable to the following factors：


① If the blood glucose is controlled poorly, it will cause osmotic diuresis which can restrain the reabsorption of sodium. After the patients begin to use insulin, it will improve the sugar metabolism and eliminate the factors that promote the excretion of sodium. Hence, it will cause retention of fluid and sodium.


② High blood glucose level can cause more antidiuretic hormones to be produced thus resulting in puffiness in face.


③ Long-term high glucose can improve the permeability of blood capillaries. It is also a cause of puffiness in Diabetes.


④ Insulin can act on kidneys directly and stimulate the reabsorption of sodium and fluid thus resulting in puffiness in face.


The above cases are caused by the use of insulin. In that case, the puffiness only last for 4 to 6 days. However, if it lasts over time, it may be related to kidney damage and the patients need to go for further examination.


Kidney damage is commonly seen in patients with Diabetes, especially those with over 10 year’s disease history. As filters (glomeruli) in kidneys are damaged, they will not be able to filter blood normally. On one hand, as the filters are damaged, a mass of proteins will leak into urine. When the protein level in blood declines, the fluid will infiltrate into subcutaneous tissue thus causing puffiness. On the other hand, as kidneys are damaged, it will cause retention of fluid and sodium.


Therefore, if the patients with Diabetes have long-lasting puffiness, they should primarily find its clear cause and then take relative treatment.