Diabetic retinopathy could also be a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the rear of the eye (retina). It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated.
However, it always takes several years for diabetic retinopathy to achieve a stage where it could threaten your sight. Diabetes damages blood vessels everywhere within the body. The damage to your eyes starts when sugar blocks the tiny blood vessels that attend to your retina, causing them to leak fluid or bleed. to make up for these blocked blood vessels, your eyes then grow new blood vessels that don’t work well.
Diabetes can cause swelling within the macula, which is known as diabetic macular oedema. Over time, this disease can destroy the sharp vision during this part of the eye, leading to partial vision loss or blindness. Macular oedema usually develops in folks that have already got other signs of diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy is bought on by prolonged levels of high blood sugar – the hallmark of diabetes – which damage the small blood vessels within the retina.
This damage can cause animal tissue to form, which can pull the retina out of position. But if retinopathy is diagnosed early, blindness is usually prevented. Although many folks with diabetes develop impaired vision, fewer than 5% suffer severe vision loss. While high blood sugar can change the shape of the lens in your eye, low blood sugar doesn’t and this particular vision issue is usually corrected sooner by getting your blood sugar back to normal from a meal or snack.
A healthy retina is vital for permanently eyesight. Diabetic retinopathy can cause the blood vessels within the retina to leak or become blocked and damage your sight. Typically, diabetic patients will develop diabetic retinopathy after they have had diabetes for between 3-5 years.
Prevention
It is difficult to prevent the diabetic retinopathy, however regular eye exams, good control of your blood sugar and blood pressure, and early intervention for vision problems can help to prevent severe vision loss.
If you have diabetes or any symptoms of diabetes, you can reduice the risk og getting diabetes with the help of some points mentioned below-
- Check your blood sugar level : It is very important to check and record your sugar level of a blood several or more frequently.
- Manage your diabetes. Try to eat healthy food and include some physical activities into your daily routine it will increase your physical fitness, so the fear of other diseases will be less.
- Take your glycosylated haemoglobin test. The glycosylated haemoglobin test, or haemoglobin A1C test, reflects your average blood sugar level for the two- to three-month period before the test. For most people with diabetes, the A1C goal is to be under 7%
- Quit smoking: If you smoke or use other types of tobacco, ask your doctor to help you quit. Smoking increases your risk of various diabetes complications, including diabetic retinopathy too.
- Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control: Eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and losing excess weight can help. Sometimes medication is needed, too.
- Pay attention to vision changes. Contact your eye doctor right away if you see any difference in your eye vision, your vision suddenly changes or becomes blurry, spotty or hazy.
Remember one thing diabetes doesn’t necessarily lead to the vision loss, if you are taking an active role in diabetes management can go a long way toward preventing complications.
