70% of the information a normal person obtains comes from vision, and the health of vision is of great importance to people. So do you know the relationship between diabetes and the eyes? If you are a diabetic, do you know that you need to have your eyes checked regularly? In particular, it is important to examine the fundus of the eye with dilated pupils. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major complications of diabetes and a major killer of vision loss in diabetic patients. With the continuous improvement of living standards, the incidence of diabetes and the rate of blindness are also increasing year by year. According to the latest statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, there were about 246 million people with diabetes worldwide in 2007, and it is expected to reach 300 million by 2030, while about 1/3 of diabetic patients suffer from diabetic retinopathy. Statistics show that 27% of type 1 diabetics with 5-10 years of disease have diabetic retinopathy, while 71-90% of those with more than 10 years of disease have diabetic retinopathy, and 95% of those with 20-30 years of disease, including 30-50% of diabetic retinopathy; while the incidence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetics with 11-13 years of disease is 23%, and those with more than 16 years of disease The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetics is 23% for those with 11-13 years of disease and 60% for those with 16 years or more, of which 10% are severe proliferative retinopathy. So what is diabetic retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus and, like other complications, is a microvascular occlusive change. Since the fundus is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be seen directly, the extent of diabetes mellitus is often determined and diagnosed by fundus examination. According to the current international staging, diabetic retinopathy is divided into two stages: non-proliferative and proliferative, and six stages according to the domestic clinical classification method: Stage I: retinal microangioma (figuratively described as red); Stage II: yellow hard exudate (figuratively described as yellow); Stage III: white soft exudate or ischemic foci (figuratively described as white); Stage IV: neovascularization or vitreous accumulation of blood in the fundus; V Stage V: proliferation of neovascularization and fibrous membranes; Stage VI: retinal detachment. How can blindness caused by diabetes be prevented? Since there is no fundamental cure for diabetic retinopathy, early diagnosis and treatment and slowing its progression are crucial. Since diabetic retinopathy does not affect central vision in the early stage, patients often do not have any ocular manifestations. Once patients discover vision loss on their own, diabetic retinopathy has often developed to the proliferative stage, at which time even if effective treatment is given (neovascularization – retinal laser photocoagulation; vitreous blood accumulation, retinal detachment – surgery At this point, even if effective treatment is given (neovascularization – retinal laser photocoagulation; vitreous blood accumulation, retinal detachment – surgery, etc.), vision cannot be restored and is often left very poor, with many patients having only light perception. Therefore, diabetic patients must have their fundus examined in detail with dilated pupils every year and have fundus fluorescence angiography if necessary. The purpose is to perform the necessary fundus laser photocoagulation treatment in time before the proliferative phase of diabetic retinopathy occurs, to interrupt the continued progression of the lesion, to preserve useful vision, and to prevent the occurrence of blindness. Once the proliferative phase of the fundus has progressed to a stage that seriously affects vision, and blood accumulation in the vitreous or retinal detachment occurs, surgical treatment such as vitrectomy should be performed as soon as possible. In conclusion, the doctor is not only a healer, but more importantly, a teacher of the patient. Let’s work together to promote a healthy lifestyle and protect the health of the eyes.