Two steps to not lose sight if you are diabetic

• April 19, 2024

In the 1950s and most of the 1960s, diabetes was not a major problem. At that time, the entire focus was on treating the diseases that were considered most important, such as polio and tuberculosis. Diabetes was thought, more in the context of the need to reduce sugar in coffee, and not as a serious threat to their view or even to life.

Unfortunately that is changing. In recent years it is no longer an exaggeration to say that diabetes is reaching levels of epidemic in most of the western world. According to American Association of Diabetes There are more than 20 million diabetics in the United States alone, with a staggering one-third undiagnosed. And things do not stop there, but they paint to get much worse, since another 41 million Americans are already showing signs pre-diabetics .

Diabetes is a disease that mainly affects the blood vessels and in extreme ways can lead to serious diseases of the heart , stroke and Kidney damage . It is evident that the life of diabetics is in danger due to vascular diseases and this one deserves priority attention, but the risk of eye diseases serious and Sight loss , also occupy a preponderant place in the scale of importance and urgency of attention for patients diabetics

The view it is one of our most important senses; More than 70% of sensory information comes through our eyes . According to American Academy of Ophthalmology , diabetics are 25 times more likely to lose vision than those who are not diabetics. Sadly, diabetes is already the leading cause of blindness in the United States, so it's no wonder that healthcare professionals view are predicting a devastating increase in loss of vision as part of the epidemic diabetes grows alarmingly.

Patients recently diagnosed with diabetes often have nothing more than minor fluctuations in vision when the levels of sugar in the blood they improve with the treatment. At first it is easy to believe that everything is fine, but after a few years, the sugar level in the blood can damage the blood vessels in the back of the eye in the retina . This causes a problem called retinopathy diabetic and if someone already has diabetes is more likely to suffer from this condition. The risk increases even more when there is poor control of glucose in the blood. More than 70% of diabetics develop some changes in their eyes within the first 15 years from diagnosis .

Retinopathy is classified as nonproliferative or proliferative. Nonproliferative is the common milder form, where small blood vessels of the retina they break. There may be a slight inflammation , but that rarely requires treatment unless the central vision is blurred or the straight lines appear crooked.

The proliferative retinopathy is the least common, but more serious when new blood vessels they grow abnormally in the retina . If these vessels heal or bleed, it can lead to potentially serious vision loss such as blindness. Timely laser treatment can seal hemorrhages of vessels and delay the progression of Diabetic retinopathy , but can not reverse the loss of vision existing.

At the moment, there is no magic pill to eliminate the risk of diabetic eye injuries, but you can do two important things to help prevent more serious complications. The little sugar control in the blood is one of the main causes of Diabetic retinopathy serious.

1. The first step critical is to ensure the stabilization and control of your sugar in the blood with a healthy diet and regular exercise
2. The second step is to make sure you have an annual examination of the diabetic eye. An experienced eye care professional can pick up subtle eye changes before you notice any change in vision , and most importantly, with enough time to do something to prevent the consequences

If you or someone in your family is affected by this growing tidal wave of diabetes: act now to reduce the risk of vision loss.Do not be a victim anymore !

Video Medicine: Diabetes Retinopathy: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatments (April 2024).