Jiang, a teenager in his early 20s in Hangzhou, began to experience symptoms of drinking, urinating and eating more two months ago, drinking and eating more every day, but also losing weight. After controlling his blood sugar in the hospital, Jiang came to the eye hospital and was diagnosed with “cataract”. It turns out that Jiang has a diabetic cataract.
As we all know, diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar. Long-term high blood sugar will lead to chronic damage and dysfunction of various tissues throughout the body, especially the eyes, kidneys, heart, blood vessels and nerves. More often than not, diabetes is like an “invisible killer”, so what are the risks of diabetes to the eyes? Why do diabetic patients need regular eye exams?
Eye care tips for diabetic patients.
Almost all eye diseases can occur in diabetic patients, such as dry eye, cataract, retinopathy, ischemic optic neuropathy, ocular motor nerve palsy, open-angle glaucoma, fluctuating refractive error, iridocyclitis, etc. Below we focus on the following eye diseases.
What are the risks of diabetes to the eyes.
1. Cataracts.
Cataracts caused by diabetes are mainly divided into two types.
① True diabetic cataract: It occurs mostly in diabetic patients before the age of 30, with simultaneous onset in both eyes and rapid development, developing into complete clouding of the lens and significant vision loss within a few days. This type of cataract in milder cases may proceed slowly or stop progressing as blood sugar control and general condition improve, and with luck, may even reverse.
(2) Concomitant diabetic cataract: Age-related cataracts coexist with diabetic cataracts and occur mostly in diabetic patients over 45 years of age. The clinical manifestations of senile cataract are basically the same as those of non-diabetic patients, mainly slow-progressing blurred vision and vision loss, but it develops at a younger average age, progresses more rapidly, and has a significantly higher incidence, 3 to 10 times that of non-diabetic patients.
2. Diabetic retinopathy:
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common serious diabetic eye disease, often resulting in vision loss or blindness. According to statistics, 50% of people with diabetes for about 10 years can develop this lesion, and 80% of people with diabetes for more than 15 years. The more severe the diabetes and the older the person, the higher the chance of developing the disease. The disease is a consequence of diabetic microangiopathy. In addition, hypertension and hyperlipidemia are also risk factors for the occurrence of glucose network.
3. Oculomotor nerve palsy.
Diabetes can lead to arteriosclerosis, resulting in ischemia of the small blood vessels that nourish the nerves. Some diabetic patients develop oculomotor nerve palsy, causing extraocular muscle movement disorders and diplopia. Some elderly people will suddenly have drooping eyelids and eyes that cannot be opened. Many people think this is an eye disease or muscle weakness, etc. and undergo long-term treatment with acupuncture, physical therapy, and infusion, delaying the best time for proper treatment.
Why diabetic patients need regular eye examinations.
Diabetes is a common endocrine disease that may not sound like it has much to do with the eyes, but it does not. Eye lesions are the most common of the many chronic complications caused by diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy has become one of the four leading causes of blindness in the elderly. Fortunately, however, most diabetic patients can escape the risk of blindness if they are detected and treated promptly. Early treatment of diabetic retinopathy is more effective and the cost of early prevention is much less than the cost of late treatment.
The fundus is the only part of the eye where arteries, veins and capillaries can be directly and centrally observed by the naked eye, and these vessels can reflect the dynamics of blood circulation and health status of the whole body. Therefore, funduscopy is not only an important way to check for diseases of the vitreous, retina, choroid and optic nerve of the eye, but also a “window” to monitor many systemic diseases.
When should I see my doctor?
It is recommended that patients with diabetes should have their eyes examined annually with dilated pupils. If you have any of the following eye abnormalities, you should see an ophthalmologist promptly for examination and treatment, and shorten the time of ophthalmology follow-up, such as once every six months or three months.
① Blurred vision and blurred eyes.
② straining to see some signs or to read.
③ seeing things with double vision.
④Redness in the eyes that does not fade.
⑤ a feeling of pressure in the eyes.
⑥The eyes see light spots or floating objects.
⑦ straight lines look curved.
⑧ not being able to see around corners as well as before.
⑨ Pregnant or preparing to become pregnant sugar users.
Eye health management for diabetic patients.
① Strict control of blood glucose: It is the fundamental measure to prevent and control diabetic eye disease. Some people have observed diabetic patients for more than 20 years and found that more than 80% of diabetic patients with poor blood sugar control had retinopathy after 20 years, while only about 10% of patients with good control had retinopathy, the difference is very big;
②Regularly go to hospital ophthalmology for comprehensive examination: early detection of eye complications and reasonable treatment can greatly reduce the blindness caused by diabetic eye complications.