Prevent diabetes problems: Keep your eyes healthy.What are diabetes problems? Too much sugar in the blood for a long time causes diabetes problems. This high blood sugar can damage many parts of the body, such as the eyes, heart, and blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. . Diabetes problems can be scary, but there is a lot you can do to prevent them or slow them down. This booklet is about eye problems caused by diabetes. You will learn the things you can do each day and during each year to stay healthy and prevent diabetes problems. What should I do each day to stay healthy with diabetes? Follow the healthy eating plan that you and your doctor or dietitian dietitian /di·e·ti·tian/ (di?e-tish´in) one skilled in the use of diet in health and disease. di·e·ti·tian or di·e·ti·cian n. A person specializing in dietetics. have worked out. Eat your meals and snacks at around the same times each day. Be active a total of 30 minutes most days. Ask your doctor what activities are best for you. Take your diabetes medicine at the same times each day. Check your blood sugar every day. Each time you check your blood sugar, write the number in your record book. Call your doctor if your numbers are too high or too low for 2 to 3 days. Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, sores, swelling, redness, or sore toenails. Brush and floss (Free, Libre and Open Source Software) See free software and open source. your teeth and gums every day. Don't smoke. What can I do to prevent diabetes eye problems? * Keep your blood sugar and blood pressure as close to normal as you can. * Have an eye doctor examine your eyes once, a year. Have this exam even if your vision is OK. The eye doctor will use drops to make the black part of your eyes (pupils) bigger. This is called dilating (DY-lay-ting) your pupil, which allows the doctor to see your retina. Finding eye problems early and getting treatment right away will help prevent more serious problems later on. * Ask your eye doctor to check for signs of cataracts and glaucoma glaucoma (glôkō`mə), ocular disorder characterized by pressure within the eyeball caused by an excessive amount of aqueous humor (the fluid substance filling the eyeball). . (See page 10 to learn more about cataracts and glaucoma.) * If you are pregnant and have diabetes, see an eye doctor during your first three months. * If you are planning to get pregnant, ask your doctor if you should have an eye exam. * Don't smoke. How can diabetes hurt my eyes? High blood sugar and high blood pressure from diabetes can hurt four parts of your eye: 1. Retina (REH-ti-nuh). The retina is the lining at the back of the eye. The retina's job is to sense light coming into the eye. 2. Vitreous vitreous /vit·re·ous/ (vit´re-us) 1. glasslike or hyaline. 2. vitreous body. primary persistent hyperplastic vitreous (VIH-tree-us). The vitreous is a jelly-like fluid that fills the back of the eye. 3. Lens. The lens is at the front of the eye and it focuses light on the retina. 4. Optic nerve optic nerve: see vision. . The optic nerve is the eye's main nerve to the brain. How can diabetes hurt the retinas of my eyes? Retina damage happens slowly. Your retinas have tiny blood vessels that are easy to damage. Having high blood sugar and high blood pressure for a long time can damage these tiny blood vessels. First, these tiny blood vessels swell and weaken. Some blood vessels then become clogged and do not let enough blood through. At first, you might not have any loss of sight from these changes. This is why you need to have a dilated dilated a state of dilatation. dilated cardiomyopathy see congestive cardiomyopathy. dilated pupil syndrome see feline dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome). eye exam once a year even if your sight seems fine. One of your eyes may be damaged more than the other. Or both eyes may have the same amount of damage. Diabetic retinopathy diabetic retinopathy n. Retinal changes occurring in long-term diabetes and characterized by punctate hemorrhages, microaneurysms, and sharply defined waxy exudates. (REH-tih-NOP-uh-thee) is the medical term for the most common diabetes eye problem. What happens as diabetes retina problems get worse? As diabetes retina problems get worse, new blood vessels grow. These new blood vessels are weak. They break easily and leak blood into the vitreous of your eye. The leaking blood keeps light from reaching the retina. You may see floating spots or almost total darkness. Sometimes the blood will clear out by itself. But you might need surgery to remove it. Over the years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time swollen and weak blood vessels can form scar tissue scar tissue n. Dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms over a healed wound or cut. and pull the retina away from the back of the eye. If the retina becomes detached, you may see floating spots or flashing lights. You may feel as if a curtain has been pulled over part of what you are looking at. A detached retina detached retina Separation of most layers of the retina of the eye from the choroid, the pigmented middle layer of the eyeball. With age, small tears can develop in the retina, and the vitreous humour inside the eyeball leaks through, separating the retina from the choroid. can cause loss of sight or blindness if you don't take care of it right away. Call your doctor right away if you think you have a detached retina. What can I do about diabetes retina problems? First, keep your blood sugar and blood pressure as close to normal as you can. Your eye doctor may suggest laser treatment, which is when a light beam is aimed into the retina of the damaged eye. The beam closes off leaking blood vessels. It may stop blood and fluid from leaking into the vitreous. Laser treatment may slow the loss of sight. If a lot of blood has leaked into your vitreous and your sight is poor, your eye doctor might suggest you have surgery called a vitrectomy Vitrectomy Definition Vitrectomy is the surgical removal of the vitreous (transparent gel that fills the eye from the iris to the retina). Purpose (vih-TREK-toh-mee). A vitrectomy removes blood and fluids from the vitreous of your eye. Then clean fluid is put back into the eye. The surgery often makes your eyesight better. How do I know if I have retina damage from diabetes? You may not get any signs of diabetes retina damage or you may get one or more signs: * Blurry or double vision * Rings, flashing lights, or blank spots * Dark or floating spots * Pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes * Trouble seeing things Seeing Things may refer to:
Does diabetes cause other eye problems? Yes. You can get two other eye problems--cataracts and glaucoma. People without diabetes can get these eye problems, too. But people with diabetes get them more often and at a younger age. 1. A cataract (KA-ter-act) is a cloud over cloud over Verb 1. (of the sky or weather) to become cloudy: it was clouding over and we thought it would rain 2. the lens of your eye, which is usually clear. The lens focuses light onto the retina. A cataract makes everything you look at seem cloudy. You need surgery to remove the cataract. During surgery your lens is taken out and a plastic lens, like a contact lens contact lens, thin plastic lens worn between the eye and eyelid that may be used instead of eyeglasses. Actors, models, and others wear them for appearance, and athletes use them for safety and convenience. , is put in. The plastic lens stays in your eye all the time. Cataract surgery Cataract Surgery Definition Cataract surgery is a procedure performed to remove a cloudy lens from the eye; usually an intraocular lens is implanted at the same time. Purpose The purpose of cataract surgery is to restore clear vision. helps you see clearly again. 2. Glaucoma (glaw-KOH-muh) starts from pressure building up in the eye. Over time, this pressure damages your eye's main nerve--the optic nerve. The damage first causes you to lose sight from the sides of your eyes. Without treatment, you can go blind. Treating glaucoma is usually simple. Your eye doctor will give you special drops to use every day to lower the pressure in your eye. Or your eye doctor may want you to have laser surgery. For more information Eye Care Professionals (ophthalmologists, optometrists) To find an eye doctor near you, ask your doctor for a recommendation or contact a nearby hospital or medical school. Look for the American Academy of Ophthalmology The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is a medical association of ophthalmologists–medical doctors (MDs) specializing in eye care and surgery). The group is based in San Francisco, California. on the Internet at www.eyenet.org and click on "Find an Ophthalmologist ophthalmologist /oph·thal·mol·o·gist/ (of?thal-mol´ah-jist) a physician who specializes in ophthalmology. oph·thal·mol·o·gist n. A physician who specializes in ophthalmology. ." Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals) To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association American Association refers to one of the following professional baseball leagues:
Recognized Diabetes Education Programs (teaching programs approved by the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA, is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of ) To find a program near you, call toll-free at 1-800--DIABETES (1-800-342-2383), or see www.diabetes.org/education/edustate2, asp on the Internet. Dietitians To find a dietitian near you, call the American Dietetic dietetic /di·e·tet·ic/ (di?ah-tet´ik) pertaining to diet or proper food. di·e·tet·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to diet. 2. Association's National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics dietetics /di·e·tet·ics/ (-iks) the science of diet and nutrition. di·e·tet·ics n. The branch of therapeutics concerned with the practical application of diet in relation to health and disease. toll-free at 1-800-366-1655, or look on the Internet at www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Dietitian." Government The National Eye Institute (NEI NEI National Eye Institute (NIH) NEI Nuclear Energy Institute NEI National Emission Inventory NEI Not Enough Information NEI Netherlands East Indies NEI Nuevos Estados Independientes ) is part of the National Institutes of Health. To learn more about eye problems, write or call NEI, 2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, MD 20892-3655, (301) 496-5248; or see www.nei.nih.gov on the Internet. More in the series The "Prevent Diabetes Problems" series includes seven booklets that can help you learn more about how to prevent diabetes problems. For free single copies of these booklets, call, write, fax, or email the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 1 Information Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 Phone: (301) 654-3327 Fax: (301) 907-8906 Email: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov These booklets are also available under "Health Information" at www.niddk.nih.gov on the Internet. Aknowledgments The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse(NDIC) is an information dissemination service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. thanks the people who helped review or field-test this booklet. For American Association of Diabetes Educators Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E. Arlington, VT Celia Levesque, R.N., C.D.E. Montgomery, AL Teresa McMahon, Pharm. D., C.D.E. Seattle, WA Barbara Schreiner, R.N., M.N., C.D.E. Galveston, TX For American Diabetes Association Phyllis Barrier, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. Alexandria, VA Linda Haas, Ph.C., R.N., C.D.E. Seattle, WA Kathleen Mahoney, M.S.N., R.N., C.D.E. Drexel Hill, PA Randi Kington, M.S., R.N., C.S., C.D.E. Hartford, CT Diabetes Research and Training Center Albert Einstein School of Medicine Norwalk Hospital Norwalk, CT Jill Ely, R.N., C.D.E. Sam Engel, M.D. Pam Howard, A.P.R.N., C.D.E. Diabetes Research and Training Center Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN Madelyn Wheeler, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.D.E. Diabetes Research and Training Center VA/JDF Diabetes Research Center Vanderbilt School of Medicine Nashville, TN Ok Chon Allison, M.S.N., R.N.C.S., A.N.P., C.D.E. Barbara Backer, B.S. James W. Pichert, Ph.D. Alvin Powers, M.D. Melissa E. Schweikhart Michael B. Smith Kathleen Wolffe, R.N. Grady Health System Diabetes Clinic Atlanta, GA Ernestine Baker, R.N., F.N.P., C.D.E. Kris Ernst, R.N., C.D.E. Margaret Fowke, R.D., L.D. Kay Mann, R.N., C.D.E. Health Care Financing Administration Baltimore, MD Jan Drass, R.N., C.D.E. Indian Health Service Albuquerque, NM Ruth Bear, R.D., C.D.E. Dorinda Bradley, R.N., C.D.E. Terry Fisher, R.N. Lorraine Valdez, R.N., C.D.E. Indian Health Service Red Lake, MN Charmaine Branchaud, B.S.N., R.N., C.D.E. Medlantic Research Center Washington, DC Resa Levetan, M.D. For National Eye Institute Judith Stein Bethesda, MD Texas Diabetes Council Texas Department of Health Austin, TX Luby Garza-Abijaoude, M.S., R.D., L.D. |
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