Today we are raising awareness of a condition that affects millions of people around the world and one of the most common causes of blindness. But did you know this can be prevented and/or treated when early diagnosed and with regular eye health check-ups?

What is Diabetes exactly?

     Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition in which the body does not properly process food to use as energy. Most of the food that we eat is turned into glucose (sugar) and released into the bloodstream, for our bodies to use as energy. The pancreas then, creates a hormone called insulin to help the glucose reach the cells in our bodies. People who suffer from diabetes cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use their own insulin as well as it should, leading to an increase of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream.  There are 2 types of diabetes:

     - Type 1 Diabetes: The patient's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. It requires daily administration of artificial insulin by injection or insulin pump;

     - Type 2 Diabetes: The patient’s body does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells do not react to it. Usually managed with a combination of a healthy controlled diet and medication (tablets). This type is far more common than type 1.

There is also a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy for some women called gestational diabetes. This happens because their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to absorb all the glucose. This type usually disappears once the baby is born.

     4.7 million of people in the UK have Diabetes, 90% of those being Type 2 diabetics. According to statistics provided by the www.diabetes.org.uk  1 in 10 people over 40’s has now type 2 diabetes.

How does Diabetes affect my eyes?

      Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in the UK. Diabetes can affect your eyes in many ways and in some cases when left untreated, these complications might even lead to blindness. The most common complication is Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic Retinopathy is a eye disease caused by high levels of glucose (sugar) and blood pressure in your eyes, sometimes causing serious damage in your eyes. When the blood vessels in your eyes are damaged, they can get blocked, leak or grow randomly, meaning the retina won’t get the blood it needs to work properly, and consequent you vision will also be affected.

There are 3 types of Diabetic Retinopathy:

     - Stage 1 - Background Retinopathy: Tiny bulges develop in the blood vessels, that may cause slight bleeding, but usually it does not affect your vision. Even though your vision is not yet affected, you will need to prevent the problem from getting worse;

     - Stage 2 – Non-proliferative Retinopathy: More severe and extensive changes affect the blood vessels, including more significant bleeding into the patient's eye. The damage is more serious than Stage 1 and will require your eyes to be checked and screened more often;

     - Stage 3 – Proliferative Retinopathy: Scar tissue to the eye cells and development of new blood vessels, which are weak and bleed easily. This means you are now at very high risk of losing your sight.

There is also Diabetic Maculopathy which affects the middle of the eye, meaning you won’t be able to read or drive.

How to prevent Diabetic Retinopathy?

      It is possible for most people to reduce the risk of developing Diabetic Retinopathy or preventing it from getting worse, by:

     - Getting your eyes screened regularly;

     - Spotting changes in your eyesight;

     - Keeping your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol in control;

     - Taking your diabetes medication as prescribed;

     - Having a balanced & healthy diet;

     - Exercising and hydrating.

Changes to look out for:

     - Floaters – if you start seeing what looks like wispy clouds, small black spots or little threads floating in and out of your vision;

     - Dimmer Vision – when your vision looks darker, like you are wearing sunglasses all the time;

     - Struggling to see in the dark.

Diabetic Eye Screening

     Any person with diabetes >15 should be offered a screening once a year, or as often as the Optometrist advises. Screening should be done for the following reasons:

     - Diabetic Retinopathy doesn’t show any symptoms in the earlier stages;

     - The condition can cause permanent blindness if not diagnosed and treated promptly;

     - Screening can detect problems in your eye before they start to affect your vision;

     - When caught early, treatment can help prevent or reduce the chances of vision loss.

If you are diabetic and due for an eye test or you have any of the above symptoms described above, please make sure to book an eye check-up as soon as possible. At Care Optics we have specialists in Diabetic Retinopathy, so you will be in excellent hands. You can book that appointment over the phone or email and our staff will make sure to take precise details so you can have the best treatment according to your symptoms.

Keep in mind:

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