Maintaining Your Eyesight With Diabetes
- Date: 2010-07-29 - Word Count: 442
Share This!
Diabetes is a common disease and has important implications for the short-term and long-term health of sufferers.
All patients with diabetes are at risk of developing sight problems, known as diabetic retinopathy. In the UK, this is one of the commonest causes of blindness in people between the ages of 30-65.Each year, 12% of people who are registered blind and partially sighted have diabetic eye disease. For this reason if you have diabetes it is vital to visit your optician at least once a year.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
The retina is a layer of delicate nerve tissue at the back of the eye that senses light. For sight to take place light must reach the retina. It passes first through the cornea and the lens at the front of the eye and then through the vitreous, the jelly-like substance in the middle of the eye. For the eye to see well, the retina has to function normally. If the retina is affected or light cannot reach the retina clearly, then poor vision is inevitable.
Diabetes can cause the tiny blood vessels in the retina to become leaky or blocked. If the vessels leak, the retina may swell up. Blocked vessels can result in the growth of fragile new vessels that may bleed and fill the eye with blood. This is called vitreous haemorrhage. It may also cause tractional retinal detachment, where the retina is pulled away from the sclera, or wall of the eye. Each can cause a loss of vision.
Can I prevent the development of retinopathy?
You can reduce the risk of visual loss from diabetic retinopathy by making sure that:
1. Blood sugar levels are well controlled with dietary restriction and/or medication.
2. Other medical problems like high blood pressure are monitored and controlled.
3. You are screened for accelerated retinopathy if you are pregnant.
4. If you are a diabetic who does not have retinopathy yet, you have an eye examination at least once a year with your diabetic specialist, doctor, ophthalmologist or optician.
Tight control of diabetes can reduce the risk of retinopathy by 60% in type I (insulin dependent) and 40% in type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
Although the majority of people who have had diabetes for some time will have some degree of retinopathy, regular visits to the optician will enable early diagnosis and treatment.
When people first develop diabetic retinopathy they have no symptoms but if it is diagnosed at this stage it is a treatable condition.
Should you see blood in your vision, make sure not to bend your head in a position below your heart and avoid strenuous activity. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.
All patients with diabetes are at risk of developing sight problems, known as diabetic retinopathy. In the UK, this is one of the commonest causes of blindness in people between the ages of 30-65.Each year, 12% of people who are registered blind and partially sighted have diabetic eye disease. For this reason if you have diabetes it is vital to visit your optician at least once a year.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
The retina is a layer of delicate nerve tissue at the back of the eye that senses light. For sight to take place light must reach the retina. It passes first through the cornea and the lens at the front of the eye and then through the vitreous, the jelly-like substance in the middle of the eye. For the eye to see well, the retina has to function normally. If the retina is affected or light cannot reach the retina clearly, then poor vision is inevitable.
Diabetes can cause the tiny blood vessels in the retina to become leaky or blocked. If the vessels leak, the retina may swell up. Blocked vessels can result in the growth of fragile new vessels that may bleed and fill the eye with blood. This is called vitreous haemorrhage. It may also cause tractional retinal detachment, where the retina is pulled away from the sclera, or wall of the eye. Each can cause a loss of vision.
Can I prevent the development of retinopathy?
You can reduce the risk of visual loss from diabetic retinopathy by making sure that:
1. Blood sugar levels are well controlled with dietary restriction and/or medication.
2. Other medical problems like high blood pressure are monitored and controlled.
3. You are screened for accelerated retinopathy if you are pregnant.
4. If you are a diabetic who does not have retinopathy yet, you have an eye examination at least once a year with your diabetic specialist, doctor, ophthalmologist or optician.
Tight control of diabetes can reduce the risk of retinopathy by 60% in type I (insulin dependent) and 40% in type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
Although the majority of people who have had diabetes for some time will have some degree of retinopathy, regular visits to the optician will enable early diagnosis and treatment.
When people first develop diabetic retinopathy they have no symptoms but if it is diagnosed at this stage it is a treatable condition.
Should you see blood in your vision, make sure not to bend your head in a position below your heart and avoid strenuous activity. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Related Tags: diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, optician, opticians
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- How To Reverse Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is a health condition that the body is not able to respond to insulin. It will pr - Top Different Diabetes Symptoms You Ought To Know
Diabetes Mellitus is a serious condition wherein abnormality in insulin is taking place. It is wheth - The Best Diabetes Treatment
Diabetes happens when there is a high amount of sugar in the body. This occurs when the body has sto - How To Spot The Initial Symptons Of Diabetes
The amount of glucose in the blood is glycemia. The Glycemic Mark suggests which carbohydrates inclu - How To Successfully Avoid Getting Diabetes
Before panic gets in the way, those who are prone to diabetes should familiarize themselves with the - Ways In How You Can Help To Foil Diabetes
In lots of situations, diabetes is an inherited condition. Folks who have first level family with th - Get Moving! Prevent Diabetes By Engaging In Physical Activity
The more you keep your body moving, the better and longer you are likely to live. At least 150 minut - Who Needs To Know That You Have Diabetes?
It is important to let people know that you have diabetes, especially if you have type one diabetes - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (ogtt) For Diabetes
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is one among many other diagnostic tests done on a patient to det - Hba1c Test, Hemoglobin A1c Diabetes Test
The term Hb refers to hemoglobin which is a protein found in the blood; it is responsible for the re
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How Original Limu Moui Can Help Treat Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes. Even the name sounds deadly. You would have to be a hermit not to know that mor - Help Children with Diabetes to Cope at School
Parents of children with diabetes should take the initiative and inform the school's principal and t - Diabetes Insipidus
What is Diabetes Insipidus?Unlike other types of diabetes such as Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Insipid - The Diabetic Food Pyramid
There is a Food Pyramid that was created especially for diabetics who need help managing their eatin - Diet for Gestational (Gestional) Diabetes
When a woman in her pregnant is having high blood sugar (glucose) then she has gestational diabetes. - diabetic neuropathy treatment
by rabortfor kind information<a href="http://www.drraomd.com/encyclopedia/disease/diabetes.h - Diabetes Type 1 in Children and Adults
What is Diabetes?Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes) is a disease characterized by the body's inabili - 8 Commonly Heard Diabetes Mellitus Misconceptions
8 Commonly Heard Diabetes Mellitus Misconceptions As with most diseases there is a great deal of mis - Most Type II Diabetes is Preventable
Several recent studies show that most cases of Type II diabetes can be prevented with the diabetic - Avoid Diabetes Problems - Ensure Your Skin And Feet Are Kept Clean!
People with diabetes should take care of their skin and feet in order to avoid problems that can be
