Suddenly my eyes are blurry… Diabetic retinopathy is called ‘young blindness’
Input: 2022-09-04 10:13:55
By Park Tae-woo, staff reporter wideneye@busan.com
Retinal microvascular damage as a complication of diabetes… The most common cause of blindness in adults
In the case of retinal detachment, severe vision loss is inevitable without timely surgery… Diabetic patients need regular eye exams
If you have diabetes, you should pay special attention to eye exams. Director Kim So-hee is examining the patient’s eye condition. provided by ophthalmology
Due to westernized eating habits, obesity, nutritional imbalance, and irregular life, the number of people with diabetes in their 20s and 30s is also rapidly increasing. Diabetes mellitus is a common disease that affects 1 in 7 people over the age of 30 in Korea. It is a metabolic disease that causes lesions in the microvasculature, and is known to cause widespread disorders in systemic tissues.
The three major microvascular complications due to diabetes are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic nephropathy. Among them, diabetic retinopathy is a disease in which the microvessels of the retina are damaged, and it is the most common cause of blindness in adults over the age of 20 in developed countries.
The retina is a structure that corresponds to the film of a camera, and is a transparent nervous tissue that covers the inside of the eyeball. Diabetic retinopathy is largely divided into proliferative and non-proliferative according to the presence or absence of new blood vessels. Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy is a condition before the formation of new blood vessels and is divided into mild, moderate, and severe stages.
On the other hand, in proliferative diabetic retinopathy, new blood vessels form in places with poor blood circulation, causing vitreous hemorrhage and traction retinal detachment, which can cause serious visual loss. In patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed following 30 years of age, following 15 years of illness, 78% develop non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and 16% develop proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Director Lee Ahn and Kim So-hee said, “In many cases, early diabetic retinopathy does not show any specific symptoms, but if symptoms such as decreased visual acuity, cataract, photopsia, blurred vision, and metamorphosis occur, it is highly likely that diabetic retinopathy has already progressed.” “Therefore, patients diagnosed with diabetes should have an ophthalmic examination at least once every 6 months or a year, even if they do not have any special symptoms. It’s good to get it,” he said.
Diabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed with tests such as fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography. Even if there are no special symptoms, changes such as microvascular flow and retinal hemorrhage can be observed in fundus examination, so regular eye examinations are necessary.
As diabetic retinopathy progresses, vitreous hemorrhage, traction retinal detachment, and diabetic macular edema may occur. Vitreous hemorrhage and traction retinal detachment require surgical treatment, and if the operation time is missed, it can cause serious irreversible visual damage. Diabetic macular edema can be treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection, intravitreal steroid injection, and local laser.
It is known that the prevalence of diabetes and the prevalence and progression of diabetic retinopathy are proportional. However, as many studies have shown, strict control of blood sugar can prevent or delay the onset of diabetic retinopathy.
Director Kim said, “If you continue to improve your lifestyle, such as receiving regular eye examinations, strict blood sugar control in the early stages of diabetes, and reducing drinking and smoking, which accelerate the progression of diabetic retinopathy, you can prevent diabetic retinopathy and slow its progression. It can be stopped,” he said.
By Park Tae-woo, staff reporter wideneye@busan.com
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