Do you know that you can go blind from diabetes ?

According to a consultant with the Singapore National Eye Center, Ophthalmologist Ian Yeo Yew San, diabetic
retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the adult working population in developed countries.
Up to 80% of blindness can be avoided. Often, it is the result of complications from diabetes or other medical related conditions.

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that results from damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). When you have diabetes, your body does not use sugar (glucose) properly. If your blood sugar is too high, your natural lens may swell, which can blur your vision. Eventually, too much sugar in your blood can damage the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the retina. This can result in diabetic retinopathy. The longer you have been diabetic, the higher your chances are that your blood vessels in your eyes will become damaged.

At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, however, diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness. As the condition progresses, its symptoms, which usually affect both eyes, may include :
* Spots floating in your vision
* Blurred vision
* Dark streaks or a red film that blocks your vision
* Vision loss

What Should Your Medical Doctor Check For:
As part of your eye examination, your doctor may do a retinal

photography test called Fluorescein Angiography.

First, your doctor will dilate your pupils and take pictures of the inside of your eyes. Then a special dye will be injected into the vein in your arm. More pictures will be taken as the dye circulates through your eyes. Your doctor will use the images to pinpoint blood vessels that are closed, having broken down or are leaking fluid.

Your doctor also may request an optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination. This imaging test provides cross-sectional images of the retina that show the thickness of the retina and whether fluid has leak into the retinal tissue.

If diabetic retinopathy is detected early, photocoagulation by laser treatment may stop it from getting worse. In cases where the disease is in an advanced stage, the treatment can reduce the chances of having a severe loss of vision. Treatment involves using laser beams to seal the adnormal blood vessels from leaking and forming tiny scars on the retina. These scars will reduce new vessels growth and cause existing ones to shrink and close up. The treatment can be done on an outpatient basis.

Advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy are treated by a procedure called vitrectomy to remove blood from the center of the eye (vitreous) and scar tissue that may be tugging on the retina.

Successful treatment of diabetic retinopathy depends on early detection and treatment. Diabetic patients should control their diabetes with diet and medication to delay or prevent the development of diabetic retinopathy and other complications.

Yearly eye examination is highly recommended.

To Your Sight .. What A Wonderful Colorful World !!

Excerpt from Health Sense, Jkt Post