Among the patients who are forced to turn to an ophthalmological surgeon, most suffer from diabetes. The condition impairs vision: 80% of people experience visual impairment with diabetes within 10 years of diagnosis.

Over time, high blood glucose levels and high blood pressure damage retinal vessels, causing diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. Left untreated, they lead to blindness. Of course, modern ophthalmology offers effective ways to deal with these diseases, but none of them will return lost vision. Medications, laser treatment, vascular coagulation, vitrectomy only stop the disease. But the main way to save vision in diabetes is to take care of your eyes yourself. How – tell the ophthalmologists of our Clinic on Maerchak .

7 tips to prevent vision loss in diabetes

1. Control your blood sugar levels and don’t let them spike.
2. The risk of complications of retinopathy and macular edema is higher in hypertensive patients, so watch your blood pressure. A balanced diet, maintaining an optimal weight, and regular physical activity help keep blood pressure normal. Do not ignore the prescriptions of your doctor and take antihypertensive drugs constantly, even if it seems to you that the pressure has returned to normal.
3. Control your cholesterol levels. We are talking about “bad” low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which destroy the walls of blood vessels.
4. Stop smoking, which also negatively affects the condition of blood vessels.
5. Eat a healthy diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and foods high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. So, scientists have found that omega-3 acid, found in nuts and fatty fish, reduces the risk of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.
6. Avoid strenuous exercise. Heavy lifting, contact sports can cause microbleeding, which is dangerous for the retina.
7. Once or twice a year, undergo a comprehensive diagnostics of vision for diabetes mellitus. It will help to identify any disorders at an early asymptomatic stage. Initially, diabetic retinopathy does not manifest itself in any way, only a doctor can notice changes during an examination. At the initial stage, sparing methods of treating vision in diabetes mellitus are still effective: medications and laser therapy. At an advanced stage, retinal death can be stopped only with the help of an operation, which has its own risks and complications. Remember that the most innovative treatments do not restore visual acuity, they only prevent blindness.

Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following changes:

• soreness, pulsation in the eyes;
• blurred image;
• spots or floating objects in front of the eyes;
• double vision;
• deterioration of vision.

These symptoms indicate a far advanced process of destruction of the retina. The high-tech equipment of our Clinic helps to make a diagnosis with maximum accuracy, to identify all damaged areas. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor selects adequate methods of treating vision loss in diabetes.

The Clinic for Laser Eye Microsurgery at Maerchak has ophthalmologists who specialize specifically in eye diseases caused by diabetes. Therefore, you can contact us with any questions and concerns, without waiting for the appearance of obvious signs of illness.

The sooner you start taking care of your eyes, the more likely you are to see better vision with diabetes.