Diabetics are prone to develop eye
trouble. If you are diabetic there are a few things
that you can do to reduce the chances of your
vision being damaged. There are two main ways
that diabetes damages vision, cataracts and retinal
damage (retinopathy). While these can be very
serious problems most patients with diabetes retain
good vision.
At the back of the eye is the retina. It acts
like the film in a camera. The image is focused
on the retina and is converted into millions of
electrical impulses which are then sent to the
brain where the picture is "seen". If
the retina and all the other parts of the visual
system are healthy then that person will have
good vision. If any part of the system is unhealthy
then the vision will be affected. In the retinopathy
of diabetes the small blood vessels in the retina
leak fluid. The fluid which leaks out damages
the vision. In other cases abnormal blood vessels
grow on the retina. These sometimes bleed and
can fill the eye with blood. This blood can cause
scarring and is one of the ways that can make
a patient blind. Diabetes is a very common cause
of blindness. There are things you can do to reduce
the risk of losing vision through diabetes.
Patients with Diabetes should be
screened annually for changes to their retina.
This involves taking photos of the retina in each
eye, which are then reviewed by an expert. Any
patient showing changes will be recalled and further
investigations undertaken. These may conclude
that there is not a significant problem and they
will return to the annual screening program. If
a problem is detected then the patient will be
referred to a consultant for further advice and
if relevant appropriate treatment commenced
The better you control your blood sugar the less
likely you are to develop severe problems. This
is particularly true at the beginning of your
diabetic career. As a diabetic you should know
what your blood sugar level should be and what
it actually is. If it is high then it will possibly
be damaging your vision. If it is not controlled
then you should know what you have to do to get
it under control. If your sugar level is consistently
out of control this will be reflected in a chemical
in your red blood cells called glycosylated haemoglobin.
Your doctor can measure this and tell how well
your control has been over the last few months.
If this test were to show that your control has
been poor over the last few months then you and
your doctor can discuss what to do about improving
control.
High blood pressure greatly accelerates the rate
at which diabetes attacks vision. You need to
be sure that your blood pressure is not high.
You should know what your blood pressure is and
what it should be, even if it is not high and
even if you are not on treatment for it. If you
are a diabetic and have high blood pressure you
must make sure the both conditions are under the
best control possible. If either or both get out
of control your vision will be under constant
threat.
There is evidence that high cholesterol levels
in patients with diabetes can increase the risk
of damage to the retina. You should know what
your cholesterol level is and lower it if it is
high. Also, diabetic patients who smoke have a
higher incidence of complications.
Remember that there is a lot you can do to preserve
your vision. Modern diabetes care is a partnership
between you the patient and the health care team
looking after you. Both partners have a role to
play.
- as a diabetic you need to watch
- your blood sugar level
- your blood pressure level
- your cholesterol level
- avoid smoking
Follow these points if you are to
optimise the chances of keeping your vision. |
