Visual impairment in diabetes: lenses and laser correction, treatment of diabetics
Diabetes mellitus belongs to a group of chronic pathologies that require treatment throughout the patient’s life. And the danger of the disease lies in the high probability of the development of various complications.
Against the background of diabetes mellitus, patients may develop complications such as “eye diabetes”. This pathology is characterized by a violation of the blood vessels in the eye, and the retina of the eye is also affected.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the visual functions of diabetics undergo complications to one degree or another. Medical practice shows that 90% of sick people will develop vision problems sooner or later.
It is necessary to consider why vision impairment develops in diabetes, and how are vision and diabetes generally related? How does diabetes affect the visual function of the patient, and will laser vision correction or lenses for diabetics help correct the situation?
Why does the vision drop?
So how does diabetes affect a person’s visual perception? Excessive glucose in the body increases the risk that the person will develop vision problems over time.
You can say even more, based on statistical information from medical sources. At the moment, sugar disease is classified as one of those pathologies that are the main cause of vision loss in the population of different age groups.
Diabetes directly affects blood vessels, in particular their normal state. At the same time, there is a negative effect on other internal organs and systems, including the eyeball.
Blood vessels are destroyed, and new ones that appear in the body can be characterized by extreme fragility. Typically, the body of such patients has a lot of fluid, which in turn leads to a cloudy lens.
Patients with diabetes mellitus can lose their sight for three reasons:
- Diabetic retinopathy.
- Cataract.
- Glaucoma.
It also happens that pathology develops rapidly, but visual perception remains at a high level.
This is observed until the blood vessels of the eye, which are responsible for visual perception, have not lost their functionality. As a rule, this happens only at the initial stage of the ailment.
Cataract and glaucoma
Sugar affects the functionality of all internal organs and systems, including a detrimental effect on vision, which can gradually decrease, and then the stage of complete blindness sets in.
Visual impairment in diabetes mellitus is manifested by various diseases. Cataracts are characterized by darkening or fogging of the lens, which is transparent in the normal state.
The lens can be compared to a conventional camera, which allows you to focus on a specific object. Despite the fact that this ailment also affects healthy people, diabetics encounter it much more often.
In addition, in diabetics, the disease progresses much faster. Patients with diabetes and cataracts cannot focus on the light source, so vision deteriorates.
It is possible to treat this pathology exclusively by means of surgical intervention, when a non-functional lens is succeeded, and an implant is placed in its place. After that, glasses or lenses may be recommended to the patient.
Glaucoma can be characterized by the following pathological processes:
- Decreased vision in diabetes occurs because the processes of normal separation of fluid inside the eye are disrupted.
- A large volume of fluid leads to an increase in pressure, which in turn leads to the development of glaucoma.
- Since strong pressure can damage blood vessels and nerves, this can lead to blindness.
In the vast majority of cases, the patient may not even be aware of the development of the disease. But as soon as the disease progresses to a more severe stage, vision will begin to deteriorate, and this happens quite abruptly.
Treatment may include laser therapy, special drops, surgery, and medication.
Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of a vascular nature that occurs against the background of a sweet disease. Microangiopathy is damage to the small blood vessels in the eyes.
If large blood vessels are damaged, this can lead to the development of a heart attack or stroke in diabetics.
A diabetic who constantly monitors glucose in his body, adheres to a low-carb diet and visits a doctor regularly, has a good chance of preventing probable visual problems.
As a rule, retinopathy occurs in all patients who have had the second type of disease for more than five years. Against the background of type 1 diabetes mellitus, the disease develops a little less often.
Retinopathy is as follows:
- Background disease. In this case, the blood vessels are damaged, but the visual perception remains the same.
- Maculopathy is characterized by the fact that all lesions are at a critical stage.
- Proliferative disease is accompanied by the fact that the posterior eye wall is covered with new blood vessels, but they become thinner and clogged.
The only way to help prevent the development of eye complications in the presence of diabetes is the constant monitoring of sugar.
The treatment of any diabetes-related illness involves bringing sugar values to normal levels.
Is laser correction possible for diabetics?
After reading the numerous opinions of doctors, you can come to the only and correct conclusion. Laser correction against diabetes mellitus is extremely undesirable.
Histological studies of the cornea of the eye of diabetics show that in the basal layer of its epithelium there is a special substance called aldose reductase. In turn, this substance promotes the production of sorbitol, which provokes changes in the dystrophic nature in the cornea (keratopathy).
In turn, this state may not be felt by the patient himself. But the laser correction procedure is carried out precisely on the cornea. Therefore, it can be said with great confidence that after the operation, the probability of a long time of epithelization is 90%, while erosion develops.
In addition, patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to viruses and infections, so the risk of developing dry eye syndrome increases.
In this regard, laser correction is highly not recommended for diabetics.
Contact lenses and problems
Can you wear contact lenses for diabetes, patients ask? The opinion of the doctors is a positive answer. But there are certain nuances – lenses are worn only in the absence of complications, and according to an individual schedule.
When a patient wears contact lenses, it is likely that diabetes problems can arise. First, with the cornea. It is known that against the background of diabetes, susceptibility is lost, as a result of which a variety of complications develop, which the patient does not even suspect. Therefore, changes that an ordinary person would notice may not be noticed by a diabetic.
Secondly, the use of contact lenses can lead to various eye infections. The fact is that the lenses can be damaged, a large number of bacteria live on them, which in turn can be a consequence of reduced vision.
In conclusion, it must be said that sugar control is the key to a full life for a diabetic, while reducing the likelihood of many complications and negative