Skip to main content

Diabetic retinopathy: causes, prevention and treatment

Diabetic retinopathy: causes, prevention and treatment

By M Tyler, Sep 30, 2014
eye.jpg
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American adults and the most common ocular disease associated with diabetes, according to the National Eye Institute.
The frightening thing about diabetic retinopathy is that there aren't always symptoms or noticeable changes in vision. However, the condition can get progressively worse over time and cause irreversible damage to one or both eyes.

Causes

Changes in blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol due to diabetes can cause retinopathy.
Fragile blood vessels can develop leaks, which can blur vision and cause swelling in the eye. With the progression of the disease, blood vessels that provide nourishment to the retina are blocked.
The blurred vision and swelling can eventually causes total blindness, if left untreated.
Both individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy.

Prevention

The best way to prevent diabetic-related eye disease is to have a vision exam at least once a year. People with poor vision or a history of eye problems may need to have checkups more frequently.
Your eye doctor will be able to tell if you have any type of damage in the eyes and if you are in the beginning states of diabetic retinopathy.
If you already have the condition, you may need more frequent eyes exams to prevent the retinopathy from getting worse.

Treatment

According to the National Eye Institute, controlling blood sugar levels is one of the best ways to slow the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. This helps prevent nerve damage in general and can reduce the need for laser surgery to save your eyesight later on.
Other research suggests that maintaining healthy levels of blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce your risk of vision problems.
If these changes don't help, diabetic retinopathy is often treated with laser surgery, which helps to slow the leakage of fluid into the eyes and reduces swelling in the retina.
Drugs like Lucentis, Avastin or Eylea may also help to promote eye health and reduce ocular fluid leakage.
Source: National Eye Institute
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The theme for WEAAD is - Building Strong Support for Elders

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2022: All you need to know about theme, history and significance World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is annually observed on 15 June. The day aims to draw attention to the impact of elder abuse.  It also highlights how the abuse is perpetuated and what can be done to combat it. For those who are unaware, elder abuse is defined by the United Nations as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”. It is often carried out by people close to the person, such as their family members or caretakers. Elder abuse can be physical, social, financial, psychological or sexual in nature . It also includes mistreatment and neglect . According to World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one in six people over the age of 60 suffer from abuse ; meaning nearly 141 million people globally are affected. Theme: The the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Type 2 Diabetes - Little Changes That Can Make a Big Difference to Your Blood Sugar and Body Weight

Type 2 Diabetes - Little Changes That Can Make a Big Difference to Your Blood Sugar and Body Weight By Beverleigh H Piepers In your quest for better health, you may need all of the help you can get. It's not a coincidence most adults struggle with their well-being. We live in a time where it's easy to become complacent with what matters the most. We give in to temptations. We submit to laziness. Ultimately, unless a cataclysmic event inspiring the necessary change occurs, we tend to resume our indiscretions. The above summarizes how many people develop Type 2 diabetes or become overweight. If you're overweight, it's not because your body is predisposed to storing more fat.  Nor is it because you have "fat genes." Rather, it's because you've made the wrong choices time and time again. But don't fret. If you played a role in your weight gain, then you can certainly take charge of your weight loss. The same principle applies to Type...
Post a Comment
Read more

संतुलित आहार का वृद्धावस्था में महत्व

पौष्टिक आहार और संतुलित भोजन क्या है ? पौष्टिक आहार वो आहार हैं जिसमे हर ज़रूरी तत्व (जैसे protein, fats, carbohydrates और minerals) उचित मात्रा में शरीर को मिलते हैं। एक संतुलित आहार में ये सब सही मात्रा में और सही अनुपात में मौजूद होते हैं। Proteins, fats और carbohydrates रोज़मर्रा के कार्यों के लिए ऊर्जा प्रदान करते हैं। Vitamins और Minerals ऊर्जा तो नहीं देते पर शरीर के विभिन्न कार्यों को नियंत्रित करने और क्रियांवित करने मर मदद करते हैं। भोजन पौष्टिक, सुपाच्य और आसानी से उपलब्ध होना चाहिए। बुज़ुर्ग द्वारा खाये गए भोजन की मात्रा महत्वपुर्ण होती है क्या? भोजन की मात्रा से गुणवत्ता का महत्व ज्यादा है। व्यक्ति की उम्र, लिंग, शारीरिक क्षमता, ऊंचाई और वजन के अनुरूप ही ज़रूरी पोषक तत्वों की मात्रा निर्धारित होती है । छोटा आहार भी पौष्टिक हो सकता है। उदहारण के लिए 100gm गेहूँ में 12gm प्रोटीन होता है जबकि उतने ही चावल में मात्र 6.4gm प्रोटीन है। इसी प्रकार 100gm रागी में 344 mg कैल्शियम है जब की उतने ही चावल में सिर्फ 9mg। जैसे जैसे व्यक्ति बुज़ुर्ग होता जाता है, क्या उसकी ख...
Post a Comment
Read more