According to statistics, among the top 10 causes of death in the world in 2020, diabetes ranked fifth, with an increase of 3.2% compared with 2019. Diabetes can easily cause various complications, and various organs in the body may be harmed by complications. Among them, “diabetic retinopathy” is an eye complication often encountered by diabetic patients.

This article introduces to you the causes of diabetic retinopathy, explains the four major symptoms that can be regarded as precursors to the disease, and the three current treatments for diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic eye disease causes

The main cause of retinopathy caused by diabetes is that too much sugar in the blood blocks the tiny blood vessels of the retina, thus cutting off its blood supply. In order to obtain enough nutrients, the eyes have to grow new small blood vessels from the side. However, the new blood vessels are often underdeveloped and fragile and prone to rupture, leaking fluid and blood easily.

When these fluids fill the vitreous body of the eye, it will further cause macular edema and affect the normal function of the eye. If the new blood vessels interfere with the normal flow of fluid out of the eye, pressure will build up in the eyeball. When the intraocular pressure exceeds the limit that the body can withstand, it will damage the optic nerve and lead to glaucoma.

The 4 major symptoms of diabetes that are precursors to blindness, early detection can help!

It turns out that sugar can clog blood vessels in the eyes is not alarmist, so how do diabetics know whether they have diabetic retinopathy?

Common eye symptoms for diabetics include blurred vision or darkening of vision, and even vision may begin to become distorted.

Diabetes may not produce any symptoms in the early stage, or may only cause minor vision problems, but if blood sugar is poorly controlled for a long time, in addition to causing retinopathy, it will also become a high-risk group for macular edema, cataracts, glaucoma and other diseases.

Diabetic retinopathy may develop into a more serious condition, because the new blood vessels in the eyes will produce scar tissue during the process of proliferation and leakage. These scars deep in the eyes can lead to retinal detachment, which can lead to blindness in severe cases.

If you find that you have the following four symptoms of vision changes, please go to an ophthalmologist for a professional examination as soon as possible.

1. blurred vision
   
2. There is a partial dark shadow in front of the eyes
   
3. Blurred or blank areas
   
4. Vision changes from good to bad

Even if diabetic patients do not have any symptoms or discomfort in their eyes, it is best to have regular eye examinations every six months so that early detection can lead to early treatment.

Diabetic eye disease: irreversible! Prevention is better than drugs and surgical treatment

Any type of diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, can cause diabetic retinopathy, and even pregnant women with gestational diabetes may develop diabetic complications due to poor blood sugar control. Generally speaking, the longer you have had diabetes and the poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the likelihood of developing diabetic retinopathy.

There are currently three treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including:

1. Medical Treatment:
   Appropriate medical treatment can control the continued progression of retinopathy, but it cannot restore lost vision.
   
2. Laser surgery:
   The most common treatment method, laser photocoagulation therapy and vitrectomy are used to restore vision. When retinopathy progresses to the point where new blood vessels may develop, laser treatment is required to eliminate new blood vessels and prevent intraocular bleeding.
   
3. Vitrectomy:
   If the new blood vessels in the omentum bleed and flow into the vitreous body, causing the originally clear vitreous body to become cloudy and unable to return to transparency on its own, vitrectomy surgery is necessary to inject clear artificial vitreous body to replace the originally cloudy vitreous body.

To avoid serious eye complications caused by diabetes, the first and most important thing to pay attention to is to take medicine regularly to control blood sugar, measure blood sugar regularly, and have regular eye examinations. If patients wait until their vision is unclear to seek medical treatment, they will often miss out on the best treatment. Opportunity. Therefore, pay more attention to subtle changes in vision. Prevention is better than cure.
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