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Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention
How the diabetic patient can prevent diabetic retinopathy? This condition is not always preventable, but with regular eye examinations with your ophthalmologist, good control of blood sugar levels (glycemia) and blood pressure with your endocrinologist, and early treatment due to vision issues can help prevent further vision loss.
Introduce to your day to day routine a healthy diet and regular physical activity (at least 45 minutes to an hour, 3 or 4 times per week). Do not stop taking your diabetes mellitus medications or insulin as prescribed.
Keep monitoring your blood sugar levels depending on the severity of your case (once every 6 months, once every month, once every week, once a day or multiple times a day). Consult your physician and follow his instructions. Ask information about the glycosylated hemoglobin test and if you need it.
Also, keep track of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Consult your doctor for more information or if you need some extra medication. Stop smoking and avoid alcohol abuse. If it gets too hard to quit, seek help. These habits increase the risk to develop diabetic retinopathy.
A very important point is to pay major attention to vision changes. If you experience sudden or progressive vision issues, consult your ophthalmologist right away.
You have to remember that diabetes mellitus not always lead to vision loss, so taking an active role in its management can generate positive results in the prevention of diabetic complications.
References
Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (19th Ed).
