Diabetes as a common chronic disease, with a series of serious complications if not effectively controlled for long periods, is one of the main causes of adult blindness. Knowledge of preventive measures and early detection methods for retinal changes of diabetes is essential for diabetes patients.
Diabetes retinal changes are closely related to diabetes and blood sugar control levels. High blood sugar can damage the microvasculars of the retina, causing diseases such as seepage, haemorrhage, neo-vascular formation and increased fibre tissue. Early patients may not have visible symptoms and, as the condition progresses, there will be gradual signs of loss of vision, deformation of the visual object, and immediate black shadows, which can lead to blindness in serious cases.
I. Preventive measures
(i) Strict control of blood sugar
Good blood sugar control is the basis for the prevention of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes patients should follow the doctor ‘ s advice and keep their blood sugar within a stable target through a combination of a reasonable diet, regular exercise, medication, etc. In general, the sugared hemoglobin (HbA1c) should be kept below 7% as far as possible. Strict blood sugar control can significantly reduce the risk of retinasis and slow progress. For example, low sugar and high-fibre diets reduce the intake of carbohydrates and high-sugar foods; a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobics per week, such as run-off, jogging, swimming, etc.; the regular use of sugar-reducing drugs or insulin injections; and regular monitoring of blood sugar and adjustment of treatment programmes to blood sugar levels.
(ii) Control of blood pressure and blood resin
Hypertensive pressure and high blood resin are also important risk factors for retinasis of diabetes. High blood pressure increases retina vascular pressure and accelerates vascular disease; high blood resin leads to increased blood stickiness, which affects the blood supply of the retina. Diabetes patients should therefore focus on the control of blood pressure and blood resin. Blood pressure should be controlled below 130/80 mmHg to maintain blood pressure stability through low salt diets, medication, etc. For blood resin abnormalities, the intake of saturated fatty acid and cholesterol should be reduced and, if necessary, deflation drugs, such as cartin, should be used to reduce low-density protein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and to increase the high-density protein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels.
(iii) Periodic eye examinations
Even without eye symptoms, patients with diabetes should undergo regular eye examinations. It is generally recommended that the first comprehensive eye examination be carried out once diabetes has been diagnosed and then reviewed at least once a year. Inspections include visual examination, eye pressure measurement, eye-to-face examination of pupils, fluorescent vascular imaging of the eye. Optical fluorescent angiography provides a clear picture of retinal vascular morphology and pathologies, helps to detect minor changes in retinal hysteria at an early stage and provides a basis for timely treatment. For patients with long diabetes, poor blood and sugar control, or who already have eye symptoms, examination intervals should be shortened and progress of eye disease should be closely monitored.
(iv) Healthy lifestyles
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is also essential to prevent retinasis of diabetes. Prohibition of alcohol use can lead to retinal vascular convulsions, reduced blood supply of retinals and increased disease; excessive drinking may affect blood sugar control and liver metabolic functions. In addition, maintaining good pacing patterns, avoiding over-observation and attention to eye health can reduce the occurrence of eye infections and fatigue and protect retina health.
Early detection methods
(i) Visual change monitoring
Diabetes patients should keep an eye on their vision changes. Although early diabetes membrane changes may not affect vision, as the condition evolves, the vision decreases. In the event of blurred vision, lack of visual clarity, difficulty of reading, or the remnant or deformation of reading, the possibility of retinal pathologies should be kept in high alert and a detailed eye examination should be carried out in a timely manner. In daily life, for example, it should not be overlooked that television programmes that could otherwise be easily seen become vaguely subtitled or that have a bend when looking at a straight object should be visited as soon as possible.
(ii) Self-examination
Patients can learn simple self-inspection methods to detect anomalies at an early stage. In an environment of sufficient light, one hand covers one eye, another eye looks at a fixed object in front of the wall, such as a small pattern on the wall or a tree outside the window, and then looks closely at whether the objects seen are clear, complete, shaded or deformed. Once one eye has been examined, the other eye is replaced for the examination. While this self-checking method is not a substitute for a professional eye examination, it can help patients to get a first look at their own background and find problems in a timely manner.
(iii) Use of assistive tools
There are a number of home-based eye-to-eye devices, such as eye-to-eye cameras, which patients can use under the direction of a doctor for periodic eye-to-eye examinations. These devices are relatively simple and can be used to take eye-to-eye photographs, which can be sent by the patient to a doctor for a long-distance diagnosis or, when re-diagnosing, to bring them to the doctor for information, which can help to detect signs of retinasis at an early stage.
Diabetes retinasis, while posing a serious threat to a patient ‘ s vision, can effectively reduce the risk of blindness through proactive preventive measures and early detection and timely treatment. Diabetes patients are fully aware of the dangers of eye complications, strictly control blood sugar, blood pressure and blood resin, develop a healthy lifestyle, conduct periodic eye examinations, closely monitor vision changes, so as to ensure early prevention, early detection and early treatment, and protect their own “windows of mind”, so that the light is brought to life.
Diabetes neurosis
