|
In the past, diabetes was never such a big epidemic like it is
today. People often thought of diabetes as simply a body
condition where one must reduce one's sugar and fat intake.
Little did people know that diabetes could end up causing
blindness!
Now that diabetes is reaching epidemic levels in most of the
western world, this problem is becoming more and more serious.
Vision is one of our most critical senses and in this "need for
speed" information era, over 70% of our sensory information
comes through our eyes. According to the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, diabetics are 25 times more likely to lose vision
than those who are not diabetic.
With diabetes already being the number one cause of blindness in
the United States, it's no wonder eye care professionals are
predicting a devastating increase in vision loss as the diabetic
epidemic grows alarmingly.
People newly diagnosed with diabetes often have nothing more
than minor vision fluctuations which settle when blood sugar
levels improve with treatment. Early on it's easy to believe
everything is fine. After some years though, continuing high
blood sugar can gradually damage the blood vessels at the back
of the eye in the retina. This causes a problem called diabetic
retinopathy and the longer you have diabetes the more likely you
are to have retinopathy. The risk increases further when there
is poor control of blood sugar levels. More than 70% of
diabetics develop some changes in their eyes within 15 years of
diagnosis.
Now, what exactly is retinopathy? There are 2 types of
retinopathy. Retinopathy is graded as Non-proliferative or
Proliferative. Non-proliferative retinopathy is the common
milder form, where small retinal blood vessels break and leak.
There may be some mild retinal swelling but it rarely requires
treatment unless it causes hazy central vision or straight lines
appear bent.
On the other hand, proliferative retinopathy is the less common,
but more serious form where new blood vessels grow abnormally
within the retina. If these vessel scar or bleed they can lead
to potentially serious vision loss including blindness. Early
laser treatment can seal leaking vessels and slow the progress
of diabetic retinopathy, but can't reverse existing vision loss.
Although there is no real cure or method to eliminate the risk
of diabetic eye damage, you can do two important things to help
prevent the more serious complications. The critical first step
is making sure you stabilize and control your blood sugar with a
healthy diet and regular exercise. The second step is to make
sure you have a yearly diabetic eye examination.
Diabetes is a disease that mostly affects blood vessels and in
it's extreme forms can lead to serious heart disease, stroke and
kidney damage. Clearly these life threatening diabetic vascular
diseases deserve priority attention, but high on the critical
list for diabetics is the risk of serious eye disease and loss
of vision. Make sure you check up with a qualified doctor to
prevent diabetes-related eye problems! An experienced eye care
professional can pick up subtle diabetic eye changes long before
you notice any vision change, and more importantly, early enough
to do some good.
If you suspect that you or a close one has diabetes - or if
diabetes is already present - now is the time to seek a doctor
for a detailed eye check up before it's too late! Don't let
diabetes claim another person's vision!
About the author:
Mary Williams owns a number of diabetes-related websites,
including Type 1
Diabetes Secrets and Diabetes
Information Now. Visit her sites today for more diabetes
information and resources.
|
