How can we prevent diabetic eye disease?

Preventing diabetic eye disease is crucial for diabetic patients. Diabetic eye disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes, seriously affecting vision and quality of life. By taking effective preventive measures, the risk of diabetic eye disease can be reduced and eye health can be protected.

1. What is diabetic eye disease?

Diabetic eye disease is a common complication that mainly occurs in people with diabetes. It includes lesions such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME), which can cause damage to the retina and macula, seriously affecting vision. High blood sugar, high blood pressure, high blood lipids and other factors are one of the important causes of diabetic eye disease.

2. Types of diabetic eye disease

Diabetic eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common eye complications of diabetes, mainly manifested by retinal microvascular disease and neovascularization, and can be divided into non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). NPDR is mainly manifested by microvascular disease, including microaneurysms, hemorrhage, exudation and hard exudates, while PDR progresses to the stage of neovascularization. These new blood vessels are prone to bleeding and lead to retinal detachment, seriously affecting vision. In addition, diabetic macular edema is another common type of diabetic eye disease, which mainly occurs in the macular area. It is caused by edema and vascular leakage in the macular area, which can cause the macular area to become thick, affecting vision, and may even lead to permanent vision loss in severe cases.

3. Harms of diabetic eye disease

① Vision loss: Diabetic eye disease is one of the main causes of blindness. Among them, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common eye complications, which damages the microvessels and nerve tissues of the retina, leading to a gradual decline in vision. Especially when diabetes progresses to the late stage, proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) occurs. In this case, new blood vessels are easily damaged and bleed, leading to retinal detachment, which seriously threatens vision.

② Macular degeneration: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is another important type of diabetic eye disease, which mainly occurs in the macula. The macula is an important part of the eye responsible for clear vision. When edema and blood vessel leakage occur in the macula, vision will be significantly affected. Macular edema can cause blurred vision, loss of central vision, and even seriously affect daily life and work.

③ Retinal detachment: In diabetic retinopathy, in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) stage, new blood vessels are easily damaged and bleed, and this blood will infiltrate into the retinal tissue, leading to an increased risk of retinal detachment. Retinal detachment can cause severe vision loss and requires timely treatment intervention to avoid deterioration.

3. Lifestyle prevention methods for diabetic eye disease

① Blood sugar control

Good blood sugar control is one of the key measures to prevent diabetic eye disease. For diabetic patients, stable blood sugar levels can reduce the risk of damage to the retina and other eye tissues. In order to achieve good blood sugar control, diabetic patients should follow the doctor's treatment plan, including taking medication or injecting insulin on time, controlling diet and exercise as prescribed by the doctor, and regularly monitoring blood sugar levels. Through these measures, patients can effectively maintain blood sugar within the target range, thereby reducing the risk of occurrence and progression of diabetic eye disease.

②Regular eye examination

Diabetic patients should have regular eye examinations (generally recommended once a year or as recommended by a doctor), including retinal examinations and fundus examinations. These examinations can help doctors detect diabetic eye disease lesions in a timely manner, such as retinal microvascular disease, macular edema, etc., so that timely treatment measures can be taken to prevent further deterioration of the disease.

③Control blood pressure and blood lipids

Hypertension and hyperlipidemia are important risk factors for diabetic patients to develop eye complications. Hypertension increases the risk of damage to eye blood vessels, leading to symptoms such as fundus vascular disease and retinal hemorrhage, thereby aggravating the condition of diabetic eye disease, while hyperlipidemia promotes lipid accumulation in the macula and retina, causing macular degeneration and retinopathy. In order to control blood pressure and blood lipids, diabetic patients can achieve this through a healthy diet, moderate exercise, and drug treatment when necessary. A healthy diet includes reducing the intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, and increasing the intake of fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, etc. Moderate exercise can help control weight, promote blood circulation, and regulate blood pressure and blood lipid levels. Under the advice of a doctor, diabetic patients can also use drug treatment, such as antihypertensive drugs and lipid-lowering drugs, to achieve a target range for stabilizing blood pressure and blood lipids.

④ Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption

Nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco damage blood vessels in the eyes, increasing the risk of eye complications. Excessive alcohol intake can also have a negative impact on eye health. Therefore, diabetic patients should resolutely quit smoking, avoid exposure to smoking environments, and limit alcohol intake to protect eye health and reduce the risk of diabetic eye disease.

⑤Healthy diet

A healthy diet is very important for blood sugar control and eye health in patients with diabetes. A balanced diet should include a variety of nutrients, especially foods rich in vitamins C, E and beta-carotene. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants that can reduce oxidative damage to blood vessels in the eyes and slow the progression of diabetic eye disease. Beta-carotene can maintain retinal health and reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Therefore, patients with diabetes should consume more fresh fruits (such as citrus, strawberries, blueberries, etc.), vegetables (such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, etc.) and whole grains (such as oats, whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.) to obtain these important nutrients.

⑥ Regular exercise

Moderate aerobic exercise helps control blood sugar and blood pressure, promotes the body's metabolism and immune function, and also plays a positive role in preventing diabetic eye disease. Aerobic exercise includes walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc., which can help diabetic patients maintain a healthy weight, reduce fat accumulation, and improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for blood sugar control. In addition, moderate exercise can also promote blood circulation, improve the blood supply of retinal blood vessels, and reduce the incidence of eye complications. Therefore, diabetic patients should perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as 30 minutes of exercise per day, to maintain good physical fitness and eye health.

Author: Yao Jianping, Danshan Town Central Hospital, Yanjiang District, Ziyang City, Sichuan Province