Diabetics are more at risk from eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma than those who do not have the disease.
However, both diabetics and those who do not have the disease are easily treated for both these conditions, but there are other eye diseases where treatment for a diabetic individual is likely to be less successful than for a non diabetic.
Retinopathy only appears in a diabetic person, the first signs usually showing after 10 years of the disease.
Not very long ago, a diagnosis of retinopathy meant almost certain blindness, but thankfully this is no longer the case, and in the UK all diabetics have their eyes examined for this disease every year.
Very often you do not have to go to hospital for this examination as many local clinics have been set up with the equipment they need to do the scan.
To check for retinopathy, the patient's eyes are dilated using eyedrops, and then a picture of the back of the eye is taken and examined for any damage. These pictures are compared over time in order to see if there is any gradual damage.
If you are a smoker, drinker or have high blood pressure you are at heightened risk of contracting retinopathy. This is bad enough, but you are then more likely to suffer kidney failure or heart disease.
The way to treat retinopathy is by laser rather than drugs. Only 5% of diabetics claim to have suffereed serious loss of vision with this treatment, the other 95% may suffer some slight los of field and night vision, but this is a very small loss of vision, especially when compared to the potential total loss of vision this disease brings.
At the end of the day, avoiding the long term health complications of diabetes is perfectly possible if one simply maintains control of one's blood glucose levels, and takes the prescribed medicine.
However, both diabetics and those who do not have the disease are easily treated for both these conditions, but there are other eye diseases where treatment for a diabetic individual is likely to be less successful than for a non diabetic.
Retinopathy only appears in a diabetic person, the first signs usually showing after 10 years of the disease.
Not very long ago, a diagnosis of retinopathy meant almost certain blindness, but thankfully this is no longer the case, and in the UK all diabetics have their eyes examined for this disease every year.
Very often you do not have to go to hospital for this examination as many local clinics have been set up with the equipment they need to do the scan.
To check for retinopathy, the patient's eyes are dilated using eyedrops, and then a picture of the back of the eye is taken and examined for any damage. These pictures are compared over time in order to see if there is any gradual damage.
If you are a smoker, drinker or have high blood pressure you are at heightened risk of contracting retinopathy. This is bad enough, but you are then more likely to suffer kidney failure or heart disease.
The way to treat retinopathy is by laser rather than drugs. Only 5% of diabetics claim to have suffereed serious loss of vision with this treatment, the other 95% may suffer some slight los of field and night vision, but this is a very small loss of vision, especially when compared to the potential total loss of vision this disease brings.
At the end of the day, avoiding the long term health complications of diabetes is perfectly possible if one simply maintains control of one's blood glucose levels, and takes the prescribed medicine.
About the Author:
Toby has been diagnosed with diabetes for a number of years now. He also suffers from hypertension caused by the disease. To help with this condition, he relaxes by making round table cloths. This always helps when he is tense. Making round table cloths is a good way to combat stress.
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