? Diabetic retinopathy is a more serious complication of diabetes and is an important cause of blindness in patients over 50 years of age. The incidence of diabetic retinopathy is directly related to the duration of the disease. A domestic study showed that the incidence of diabetic retinopathy was 26% in those with diabetes mellitus of 10 to 14 years and 63% in those with diabetes mellitus of 15 years or more. The disease is often caused by light scattering due to retinal edema, or loss of vision due to pathological changes such as fundus hemorrhage and exudation. According to the severity of the disease, there are two types: non-proliferative stage and proliferative stage: 1. Patients with non-proliferative stage have relatively mild disease, and microangioma can appear in the fundus, which is a capillary cystic bulge caused by the thickening of the basement membrane of capillary endothelial cells, reduction of pericytes, and proliferation of endothelial cells due to the long-term hyperglycemic state. The accompanying symptoms are also fundus hemorrhage, hard exudate, and in severe cases, grayish-white cotton-wool plaques with indistinct borders can be seen, signifying atresia and ischemia of the small terminal arteries in the supply area, blockage of axial pulp flow of nerve fibers that nourish the fundus, and intracellular edema. 2, Proliferative phase The most important hallmark of this phase is neovascularization, which can grow in the optic disc, pars plana, and near the temporal vessels. Along with the generation of neovascularization, the vascular tissue also grows gradually and finally forms a fibrovascular membrane. In general, there is a potential gap between the posterior vitreous boundary membrane and the retina, thus providing room for neovascularization to move and grow from the retina to the posterior surface of the vitreous, the optic disc, and the superior and inferior vascular arches. Contraction of these fibrous proliferative membranes can cause vitreous detachment, rupture of the neovascularization leading to vitreous blood accumulation, mechanization, and retinal traction detachment. With the aggravation of retinal ischemia and hypoxia, diffuse as well as limited edema appears in the macular retina, and the vascular growth factor produced in the retinal ischemic area may also enter the anterior chamber to induce iris redness and block the atrial angle, thus causing neovascular glaucoma, which seriously affects vision and is extremely difficult to treat. Early prevention is extremely important, and it is important to “prevent the disease before it happens, and prevent the disease from changing”. When diabetes is detected, it is important to seek the assistance of internal medicine to adjust blood glucose and keep it within the normal range, and glycosylated hemoglobin testing is also important. In general, when there is no change in the fundus, the fundus should be routinely checked once a year. When there are mild non-proliferative manifestations in the fundus, such as hemorrhage and small amount of hard exudate, it should be examined every six months or once a year. However, when there is macular edema, the periodicity of follow-up examination should be shortened, usually once every 2 to 4 months. If necessary, fundus fluorescence angiography should be performed to further clarify the extent of damage to the fundus and determine the need for local laser photocoagulation according to the extent of macular edema. When the disease progresses to a very severe proliferative stage, the frequency of follow-up examinations should be increased and appropriate treatment should be taken according to the condition. In case of severe proliferative changes or pre-proliferative changes, local or whole retinal laser treatment is performed under the guidance of fluorescence angiography to eliminate the non-perfused and ischemic-hypoxic areas and to prevent retinal neovascularization. Some patients are afraid to undergo fundus laser treatment, but in fact, for this disease, fundus laser treatment can cause scarring of the retinal ischemic area, and the emerging neovascularization will be eliminated naturally because of the lack of sufficient oxygen supply; on the other hand, it can promote the absorption of subretinal fluid and maintain the structure and function of the macula area to remain relatively normal; laser can also destroy microangiomas, diseased retinal The laser can also destroy microvascular tumors, lesions in the retina, and reduce leakage caused by lesions in the blood vessels. Although the thermal effect of the laser can cause some damage to the retina, the overall benefits outweigh the disadvantages and reduce the rate of blindness in patients with diabetic retinopathy. If treatment is not done in time during the pre-proliferative phase, the retinal neovascular membrane shrinks and the fundus hemorrhages repeatedly, and when it progresses to the stage of retinal detachment by traction, the treatment will be very tricky and the blindness rate is high. We treat both the symptoms and the root cause of the disease, and provide evidence-based treatment according to the ocular and systemic conditions. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, this disease is a complication of “thirst” and is an ophthalmologic disease with a deficiency at the root and a deficiency at the symptoms. The deficiency of both qi and yin is the root of the disease, while the blood overflows outside the eye ligaments, and the organized material becomes the standard. In the treatment, both the symptoms and the root cause should be treated on the basis of replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin. At the same time, according to the patient’s general condition, choose some food to balance yin and yang, regulate the internal organs, strengthen the body and delay the development of the disease. If the patient is deficient in qi, see mental fatigue, weak limbs, etc., can use astragalus, yam, ginseng, etc. to replenish qi; deficient in yin, see waist and knee weakness, night sweating, night sweating, should take wolfberry, mulberry, turtle meat, fungus, silver fungus, etc. to nourish yin; deficient in kidney yang, see the form of cold limbs, frequent night urination, can often take leek, mutton and other foods to warm yang. In terms of life and living, you should do regular work and rest, appropriate exercise, you can play tai chi, walk after meals, do not too strenuous exercise. You should also pay attention to mental regulation and avoid excessive emotional excitement or depression to regulate the qi. In conclusion, the development of diabetic retinopathy is a gradual process, the earlier it is detected and the more timely the treatment, the lower the chances of leading to blindness. In addition to controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipids, diabetic patients should strive to have their eyes examined once a year to prevent the progression of diabetic retinopathy by treating it early once it appears.