Doctors have learned about the effects of diabetes on the eyes

Eye care and regular checkups are important for everyone, but especially for people with diabetes. This disease is systemic and affects many organs, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, and eyes. This was reported on December 3 by Medical Xpress magazine.

About 10% of the world's population suffers from diabetes. The disease itself occurs due to abnormalities in the way the body regulates and uses sugar as an energy source.

The eye contains a sensitive layer, the retina, which plays a key role in vision. Her blood vessels can be damaged by diabetes, leading to a disease known as diabetic retinopathy. This condition can develop in people with type I and type II diabetes, as well as in women suffering from gestational diabetes during pregnancy. At the same time, if you had diabetes before pregnancy, the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases.

Diabetic retinopathy gradually damages the retinal vessels. In the early stages of the disease, the patient may not notice the symptoms, but the damage occurs even before they appear. In the later stages, diabetic retinopathy can lead to rapid and irreversible vision loss. It is one of the leading diseases causing vision loss in people aged 25-74 worldwide.

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For people with diabetes, regular eye checkups are part of an annual medical checkup. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several artificial intelligence devices designed to screen for diabetic retinopathy. These systems take a picture of the retina to identify early signs. If the disease is detected, the patient is referred to an ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment.

Prevention was called the best way to combat diabetic retinopathy. It is specified that the risk of vision loss due to this disease is reduced due to strict control of blood sugar levels. In particular, it is important to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which affect the health of the blood vessels of the eyes.

If no problems were found during the annual vision check, it is important to immediately inform the doctor about symptoms such as blurred vision, bifurcation of objects, dark spots, difficulty reading and night vision, drooping eyelid, eye pain, flashing lights, halos around light sources, and the visibility of objects. which seem to be bigger or smaller.

Earlier, on September 19, Anna Marchenko, MD, endocrinologist, chief physician of the Dr. ANNA family clinic, told Izvestia about the relationship between diabetes and excess weight. According to her, adipose tissue contributes to the development of insulin resistance by disrupting insulin's sensitivity to glucose. This prevents it from being absorbed from the blood into organs and tissues. The doctor clarified that timely weight loss can reduce the risk of diabetes.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.