When a person is diagnosed with diabetes, his or her life becomes very complicated. Along with the daily insulin injections, medication, diet control and exercise, the risk of other diseases also increases. The excess amount of glucose in the blood streams starts affecting various organs of the body one by one.
Some of the problems untreated or poorly treated diabetic patients faces are:
- Eye problems
- Hearing problems
- Kidney problem
- Gum disease
- Heart problem
- Nerve problems
- Feet problem
And many more…
In the list of complications arising from poorly treated or untreated diabetes, the most prominent one is the eye problem. Life becomes very difficult when one loses his or her vision. Therefore, eyes must be taken care of when diagnosed with diabetes.
Which are the common eye diseases found in diabetic patients?
The major eye diseases that may arise from diabetes are:
- Diabetic retinopathy:This disease affects 80% of the diabetic patients. This is also known as diabetic eye disease and it damages the retina of the eye which leads to blindness.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which damages the optic nerve which results in vision loss.
- Cataracts: Cataracts is the clouding of the eye lens which results in blurry vision.
- Neuropathy: Neuropathy damages the optic nerves by reducing the blood supply to the eyes. This results in double visions, blurry visions, dropping of your eyelid and immense pain in the eye.
What are the symptoms of diabetic eye problem?
It is not so easy to detect the symptoms of eye problems in the earlier stages of diabetes. However, in the later parts of the disease, the following symptoms may arise which are to be treated quickly:
- Blurry or double vision
- Pain or pressure in eyes
- Dark or floating spots in your vision
- Rings, flashing lights or blank spots in your vision
- Trouble seeing things out of the corners of your eyes
Some tips to prevent the chances of development of eye disease in diabetic condition:
Have a comprehensive dilated eye examination once a year
Since the symptoms don’t show in the earlier stages of diabetes therefore you need to go to your ophthalmologist (Eye MD), to get your eye examination. The dilated eye examination helps your ophthalmologist to detect any damage on your retina or optic nerve before you get blurry visions. This helps in starting treatment before any serious vision problem arises.
Keep check on your blood sugar level!
Rise in the blood sugar level damages several organs of the body including the eye. A high blood sugar level can affect the shape of the eye lens which leads to blurry visions and damage to the blood vessels of the eyes. However, when this blood sugar level stabilizes, your vision will become normal. Therefore, you need to keep track on your blood sugar to prevent eye problems.
Control your blood pressure and cholesterol level
Diabetic patients also have the problem of abnormal blood pressure and cholesterol level. When there is imbalance in both of these, it has an adverse effect on eyes. Generally, the eye lens gets damaged which results in blurry vision. This can be easily treated by maintaining the blood pressure and cholesterol level through proper dieting, exercising and proper medication. The patient should not neglect the blood pressure medicines at any condition. They must follow each and every advice of the doctor to prevent the risk of any eye problem in the future.
Related Post – Blood Pressure Monitors
Quit Smoking!
Yes, you need to stop smoking if you are diabetic. Smoking raises the chances of several eye diseases in which diabetic retinopathy is the prominent one. Tobacco increases the risk of vision problems and also other respiratory diseases.
Maintain a healthy diet
Diabetic patients must follow healthy diets which are specialized to maintain the blood sugar level in the body. The reduction in blood sugar level diminishes the risks of eye diseases.
Exercise regularly
A daily planned workout will help you shed off those belly fats which is the prime reason for diabetes. Moreover, exercise also helps in maintaining healthy eyes. So, contact an expert to design a workout regime to lessen your diabetic effects.
In case of emergency, contact your doctor right away!
If any day you wake up with blurry vision, or have been neglecting the blurry vision or vision problems then you shouldn’t waste time and contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If proper treatment is not done within time, then there are chances of vision loss.
Try to avoid neglecting any kind of eye treatment due to huge expense.
If you are suffering from eye problems due to diabetes and have not followed the required treatment then you should do it quickly. There are several insurance companies who provide health insurance policies for diabetes. Buy such health policies on time and get all your expenses for the treatment settled without any fuss. Moreover, there are many organizations and charities that help those in need.You may seek help from them in times of need.
Diabetic patients must gather knowledge about all the problems and treatments in the earlier stages of their disease from a doctor or an expert. To avoid huge financial burden due to treatments, they must invest in health insurance policies on time. To prevent the risk of developing eye problems, one must visit the ophthalmologist and follow diabetic diet plans and exercises strictly. Following each and every advice from your physician will help you recover quickly.