What? Diabetes can cause blindness?! #武汉爱尔#赵燕#糖网

Milk tea prolongs life, staying up late to cultivate immortality

The "Three Highs" Crisis of Contemporary Youth

It may be quietly "stealing" your eyesight!

Diabetes is not just a disease of the elderly

Today I will show you a little bit

The "sweet killer" of vision——

Diabetic retinopathy

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. It is a series of fundus lesions caused by retinal microvascular leakage and occlusion due to chronic progressive diabetes. According to the latest data released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in 2021, the prevalence of diabetes in people aged 20-79 in China has reached 10.6% , with 141 million patients.

What are the stages of diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy can generally be divided into the following stages:

(1) Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR):

This is the early stage of diabetic retinopathy. The retina will have microaneurysms, hemorrhages, exudations, etc. At this stage, vision may begin to be affected to a certain extent, and some patients will experience symptoms such as mild decrease in vision.

(2) Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR):

As the disease progresses, new blood vessels will form in the retina, and it may be accompanied by serious lesions such as fibrosis and tractional retinal detachment, which often lead to a significant decrease in vision or even blindness.

(3) Diabetic macular edema (DME):

The macula is the site of acute vision. When diabetes is not well controlled for a long time, edema (fluid accumulation) may occur in the macula, causing decreased vision. This can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy and can lead to significant loss of vision.

What are the symptoms and dangers of diabetic retinopathy?

In the early stages, diabetic retinopathy may not have obvious symptoms, and patients may not even realize that their retina has been damaged. Therefore, many diabetic patients fail to detect retinal changes in time. Once it enters a more serious stage, the following symptoms may appear:

1. Blurred vision: Patients may experience blurred vision, especially at night or when viewing at a long distance.

2. Decreased vision: Vision gradually deteriorates, and there is even a risk of blindness.

3. Dark shadows or flashes appear in front of the eyes: When retinal hemorrhage or new blood vessels rupture, the patient may see floating objects or flashes in front of the eyes.

4. Loss of central vision: Diabetic macular edema will directly affect central vision, making reading and recognizing faces difficult.

Diabetic retinopathy is extremely harmful to vision. It may not only lead to long-term vision loss, but also cause serious complications such as retinal detachment, intraocular hemorrhage and even blindness.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?

Control blood sugar

Controlling blood sugar is the basis for preventing and treating diabetic retinopathy. High blood sugar is the main cause of the disease, and strict blood sugar control can slow down the progression. Patients need to control their diet, exercise moderately, and take hypoglycemic drugs or insulin as prescribed by their doctors to keep their glycosylated hemoglobin as close to normal as possible, preferably below 7%, to protect the health of the retina.

Laser therapy

Laser treatment is an important method for diabetic retinopathy. Laser with a specific wavelength can destroy abnormal blood vessels, reduce retinal oxygen consumption, inhibit new blood vessels, and prevent the disease from worsening. Methods include local photocoagulation and panretinal photocoagulation, which are selected according to the condition. The treatment is relatively safe, but attention should be paid to postoperative rest and protection, and regular follow-up examinations should be carried out according to the doctor's advice to ensure efficacy and eye health.

Intravitreal injection

Intravitreal injection has a significant effect on the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. VEGF promotes vascular leakage and neovascularization, and anti-VEGF drugs can inhibit its effects, reduce leakage and neovascularization, and improve vision. Intravitreal injection has a rapid onset of action and little trauma, but multiple injections are required. Patients should follow the doctor's advice and receive treatment on time to control the disease.

Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy is an important surgery for the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The surgery removes the vitreous and proliferative membrane, relieves retinal traction, prevents detachment, and removes cloudy refractive media, improves vision, and creates conditions for photocoagulation therapy. The surgery can be performed under local anesthesia. Patients need to pay attention to postoperative rest and care, and follow the doctor's advice for regular checkups to promote recovery.

The Department of Fundus Diseases of Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital reminds: Diabetic retinopathy can be prevented and treated. The key is to control blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipids to delay the progression of the disease. Regular eye examinations are also very important, especially for diabetic patients. Early detection and treatment can avoid further damage to vision.