Diabetic Eye Care

 
Imagine you live in an old house with a plumbing system that’s been in place for decades. Over time, the pipes have started to corrode, get clogged, and develop leaks. These issues don’t just affect one part of the house—they cause problems throughout, from the bathroom to the kitchen, making it difficult for water to flow properly and sometimes even leading to damage in the walls or floors.

Now, think of your body as that house and your blood vessels as the plumbing system. When you have diabetes, it’s like having a problem with your plumbing. The high blood sugar levels in your body act like corrosive substances in the pipes, slowly damaging the blood vessels over time. Just as the pipes in the old house become clogged or leaky, your blood vessels can become narrowed, weakened, or blocked. This can lead to issues all over your body—affecting your heart, kidneys, eyes, and even your nerves—just like how plumbing problems can cause trouble in multiple rooms of a house. There are three types of diabetes:

• Type I Diabetes – With this condition your body’s immune system will attack cells in your pancreas that produce This causes your body to produce an insufficient amount of insulin and ultimately causes an elevated blood glucose level.
• Type II Diabetes – This condition is often the result of an individual’s lifestyle or With type II diabetes your body becomes resistant to the insulin you produce. This will ultimately result in an elevated blood glucose level.
• Gestational Diabetes – This condition is only present in pregnant During pregnancy your body goes through a wide variety of hormonal changes, which can cause your body to produce an inadequate amount of insulin. This will cause your body to have an elevated blood glucose level, but this condition typically is resolved after giving birth. However, this condition increases the risk of you and your child developing type II diabetes.

As said before, diabetes can have major consequences on your eyes! Diabetes can increase your risk of developing conditions such as:

• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Dry Eye
• Presence of spots or flashes of light in your vision

Major risk factors for diabetes include:

• Presence of diabetes within other family members
• A diet high in processed sugars and processed food
• Lack of physical activity
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Age

How can an ophthalmologist help?

During your visit to our office, it is important that you bring or write down your last HbA1c and fasting blood sugar measurements along with when you were diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. This helps Dr. Patel to get a more complete understanding of your condition and educate you on how to manage your diabetes. If diagnosed with diabetes it is important to:

• Regularly test your fasting blood sugar 1-2x a day
• Regularly test your HbA1c every 3-6 months through your primary care physician
• Consistently attend follow-up appointments with your primary care physician, endocrinologist, and Patel
• Change your diet to foods low in sugar and saturated fats
• Become more Adults should aim to get at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity a week (This can include running, swimming, or walking)
• Stay consistent to the medications prescribed by your physicians
• Quit Smoking