Amy M. Rudser, O.D.
17685 Juniper Path Suite 205
Lakeville, MN 55044
Phone: 952-898-4088
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetes
Preventative Care
What can I do to protect my vision?
You can take steps to slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year keeping in mind:
- Proliferative retinopathy can develop without symptoms. At this advanced stage, you are at high risk for vision loss.
- Macular edema can develop without symptoms at any stage of diabetic retinopathy.
- You can develop both proliferative retinopathy and macular edema and still see fine, however, you are at high risk for vision loss.
- Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss. Patients with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care.
The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of retinopathy. The people with diabetes who kept their blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible also had much less kidney and nerve disease.
Other studies have shown that controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce the risk of vision loss. Controlling these will help your overall health as well as help protect your vision.
Control your blood sugar: Tight control of blood sugar slows the onset and progression of retinopathy and lessens the need for surgery. Tight control means keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. Ideally, this means levels between 90 and 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) before meals and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after starting a meal - with a glycosylated hemoglobin A1C level less than 6 percent. A glycosylated hemoglobin A1C test, also called a glycated hemoglobin test, reflects your average blood sugar level for the two- to three-month period before the test. Your doctor uses it to determine how well you're managing your blood sugar.
Tight control isn't possible for everyone, including some older adults, young children and people with cardiovascular disease. Talk to your doctor, your endocrinologist or diabetes educator about the best blood sugar control goals and management plan for you. A management plan frequently involves taking insulin or other medications, monitoring blood sugar levels, following a healthy eating plan, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. It may take some time before the benefits of lowering your blood sugar are realized. And remember that better control lowers but doesn't eliminate your risk of developing retinopathy.
Keep an eye on vision changes: In addition to getting an annual eye exam, be alert to any sudden changes in your vision. Have your eyes checked promptly if you experience vision changes that last more than a few days or aren't associated with a change in blood sugar, or if your vision becomes blurry, spotty or hazy.
Keep your blood pressure down: Tight blood pressure control slows the progression of diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your blood pressure, you may need to make lifestyle changes and take medications.
Control your cholesterol: Total blood cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL are associated with a significantly increased risk of vision loss. As with high blood pressure, treatments to improve your blood cholesterol may include lifestyle changes and medications.
Stop smoking: Smoking is especially bad for people with diabetes because it promotes the closure of blood vessels.
Control stress: Stress can cause swings in blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and may affect your ability to control your blood sugar. Stress hormones can directly affect your blood sugar levels, causing them to rise or fall.
Visual perception photos above of ocular disease come from the NIH website.