Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the major complications of diabetes. If you’re not active in managing your diabetes, then you should become aware of it. According to The World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).
What are the Types of Diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.
When our food is digested the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases insulin to the blood stream to aid in utilizing the glucose/ sugar to enter the cell and convert sugar into energy. A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia). This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.
Diabetes retinopathy is a long term complication of unmanaged diabetes. It is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness here in Philippines and in other country. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina causing the small veins to rupture..
In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.
If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.
Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways. One is having abnormal blood vessels due to consistent elevated blood sugar level can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye and may cause blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy, it is the advance stage of diabetic retinopathy. Two, Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, and causes blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.
Normal Vision
Same scene viewed by a person with diabetic retinopathy
What are the Types of Diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia that is first recognized during pregnancy.
When our food is digested the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases insulin to the blood stream to aid in utilizing the glucose/ sugar to enter the cell and convert sugar into energy. A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia). This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.
In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.
If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.
Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways. One is having abnormal blood vessels due to consistent elevated blood sugar level can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye and may cause blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy, it is the advance stage of diabetic retinopathy. Two, Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, and causes blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.
Same scene viewed by a person with diabetic retinopathy
Sense of sight, we need to take care of it. Losing our sense of sight can be devastating. Diabetes can be prevented, and also this diabetes complication. To control your blood sugar you must be active, have an exercise like brisk walking 30 minutes per day, eat right and healthy, eat more vegetables and high fiber foods and most of all stay away from vices that may affect our body.
Reference: http://www.who.int/diabetes/en/
