Do you suspect you are experiencing Diabetic Retinopathy symptoms?
Diabetic retinopathy symptoms can emerge slowly or even fluctuate making it difficult to catch. Diabetic retinopathy causes blindness although this is in severe cases. Those with both type 2 or type 2 diabetes can develop this eye complication and it is caused when the blood vessels in the back of the eye are damaged affecting light sensitivity. Here we will not only talk about different types of retinopathy but also diabetic retinopathy symptoms and causes.
What are Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms?
As stated before, it is common for diabetic retinopathy symptoms to go unnoticed but as it progresses, the symptoms become more visible. These symptoms can be noticed when experiencing types of retinopathy:
- Blurred vision
- Fluctuating vision
- Impaired color vision
- Spots or dark stings in your vision, such as a floating thing
- Dark or empty areas in vision
- Vision loss
These symptoms almost always emerge in both eyes, not just one.
When it comes to diabetic retinopathy causes, it usually stems from large amounts of sugar in the blood affecting blood vessels that give nutrients to the eye. When the eye loses the supply it needs they develop new vessels but these newer vessels are developed as well as the first ones and can cause many issues. There are two types of retinopathy and they are early diabetic retinopathy and advanced diabetic retinopathy.
Early Diabetic Retinopathy – this type of retinopathy is the more common type. This happens when the eye is unable to make new blood vessels and in turn, the old ones weaken. These weakened blood vessels then grow small bulges inside the vessels oftentimes causing them to leak fluid into the rest of the eye. This type of retinopathy can either be mild or severe, severe happens when the blood vessels become completely blocked.
Advanced Diabetic Retinopathy – this is the more severe types of retinopathy and in some cases can cause the retina to detach from the back of the eye. This is because of the severe damage to the blood vessels making them close off and grow new, not well functioning, blood vessels. When this happens a fluid that jelly like leaks into the eye.
If you have diabetes, you could be more at risk for developing retinopathy if you are not monitoring the following things:
- Tobacco use
- Pregnancy
- Cholesterol
- Blood pressure
- Blood sugar levels
How to Prevent the Onset of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Although preventing diabetic retinopathy is possible, it’s not always avoidable. Taking care of yourself and checking your eyes annually as well as your overall health. Here are some tips for preventing diabetic retinopathy:
- Diabetes – when you have diabetes, managing it is most important. Making sure to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
- Blood sugar – making sure your blood sugar levels are within reason is also important. Make sure you speak to your doctor about how often you should be checking or monitoring your blood sugar levels
- Cholesterol and blood pressure – should both be kept within the limits given by the doctor. This can be managed through a healthy diet as well as regular exercise.
- Stop smoking – if you are a smoker, you should try to stop. Smoking raises the risk of many things and speaking to your doctor about quitting would be beneficial for your health.
- Vision – make sure you are paying attention to any changes in your vision as it can be a sign of other complications.
- Glycosylated hemoglobin – this is something that you can have tested to show your average blood sugar level. This is a great way to base what your levels should be on a regular basis.
Living with diabetes can be a challenge but taking care of yourself and monitoring your health can help you catch complications before they become severe.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-retinopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20371611