Diabetes is becoming one of the most common diseases. The disease can undermine the he alth of not only an adult, but also a child. Doctors associate this trend primarily with many factors that can affect the state of the body of a modern person: chronic fatigue, all kinds of stressful situations, excess weight, decreased physical activity, prolonged sitting, unfavorable environment, and poor diet.
A dangerous prospect
Retinopathy in diabetes is not the only comorbidity. As some studies show, around 2025, a critical mark will be set. Scientists estimate that 300 million people will suffer from diabetes. And that's 5% of the world's population.
Features of diabetes
In order for retinopathy in diabetes to not develop quickly, you need to know how to prevent it. This requires an understanding of howailment works. The main symptom of diabetes is an increase in the patient's blood sugar level. In a he althy person, the cells of the pancreas produce a hormone called insulin. It is this substance that regulates metabolic processes and, first of all, sugar, proteins and fats.
Diabetes does not produce enough insulin. As a result, there are violations not only in terms of metabolism. Blood sugar rises. The cells of the body in such conditions are not able to work normally.
Insulin deficiency leads to impaired fat metabolism, as well as to the accumulation of cholesterol. This substance gradually accumulates on the walls of blood vessels and leads to sad consequences. In diabetes, the eyes, kidneys, heart, visual apparatus, as well as vessels located in the lower extremities most often suffer.
When does retinopathy occur in diabetes
After 5-10 years after the first symptoms of diabetes, a person develops diabetic retinopathy. In type 1 disease, this phenomenon proceeds rapidly. Retinopathy develops rapidly and becomes proliferative. If the patient has type 2 diabetes mellitus, then all changes are mostly observed in the central zone of the retina. Maculopathy often develops. It is usually cystic and results in poor central vision.
Why does diabetes occur and related diseases
Several main reasons why diabetes develops have been identified. By avoiding further aggravation of the disease, it is possible to prevent the developmentretinopathy. Among the main reasons:
- Obesity.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Disorders of the pancreas that cause changes in beta cells, such as cancer, pancreatitis, and so on.
- Viral infections, including influenza, epidemic hepatitis, chickenpox, rubella and so on. Such ailments are something of a trigger for those at risk.
- Nervous stress.
Is it possible to immediately diagnose retinopathy
Retinopathy in diabetes mellitus is not diagnosed immediately, as rather complex processes take place in the patient's body. Often the disease becomes noticeable only after the appearance of some complications. According to statistics, retinopathy in type 1 diabetes is present in almost 99% of all patients.
This disease is a serious complication. Retinopathy affects primarily the vessels located in the retina directly in the eyeball. There is a complication in more than 90% of all patients with diabetes mellitus. The main symptom of the disease is a deterioration in visual acuity and disturbances due to which a person ceases to see normally. People with diabetes are the most likely to go blind. You can identify the first signs of retinopathy. To do this, you must undergo a thorough examination by ophthalmologists.
Diabetic retinopathy symptoms
This disease occurs mostly without obvious symptoms. In the early stages, the patientfeels problems with vision and does not notice a decrease in its sharpness. Retinopathy in diabetes mellitus becomes apparent only after a hemorrhage that occurs inside the eye. At this moment, the patient has a continuous veil and dark floating spots. After some time, these signs disappear completely.
However, the hemorrhage is not without a trace for the patient. As a result of such a violation, complete loss of vision can occur. Indeed, strands begin to form inside the vitreous body, which can lead to retinal detachment.
In addition, there is swelling of the central departments responsible for a person's ability to read and observe small objects. In such cases, the veil returns to the eyes again. Reading, working at close range, and sewing, knitting, and embroidering become almost impossible.
Classification of retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy, the symptoms of which are described above, has several varieties. The classification of this disease was created in 1992. It has been approved by the World He alth Organization. This classification is still in effect. Retinopathy can be:
- Unprofiled. This is a kind of pathological change that occurs in the retina of the eye. It manifests itself, as a rule, as hemorrhages, microscopic aneurysms, the shape of which is dark spots or a dot.
- Preproliferative. Similar retinopathy in diabetes mellitus, a photo of which can be seen below,is a venous anomaly. They have a tortuous contour and loops, a significant amount of exudates. Often with this violation, the occurrence of a large number of large hemorrhages is noted.
- Proliferative. In this case, there is neovascularization of the disc, which is located in the optic nerve. In this case, hemorrhage occurs in the vitreous body. As a result, fibrous tissue forms in the damaged area. The newly created vessels are fragile and have very thin walls. It is in them that repeated hemorrhages are observed. Vessels that have formed in the iris often lead to secondary glaucoma.
Stages of retinopathy
What is retinopathy in diabetes? The stages of this disease are determined by their characteristic features. There are three periods of illness in total:
- Easy stage. This period is typical for non-proliferative retinopathy. This is the earliest stage of the disease. During this period, microaneurysms develop - these are peculiar swellings in the form of balls that form in small vessels of the retina.
- Moderate stage. With the progression of the disease, there is a blockage of blood vessels that are necessary for the normal nutrition of the retina.
- Heavy stage. With such an ailment, a large number of blood vessels are clogged. In this case, there is insufficient blood flow in the retina. At this stage, the body receives signals that it is necessary to create new vessels to resume normal tissue nutrition.
Non-proliferative and proliferativeretinopathy
Non-proliferative retinopathy in diabetes mellitus is characterized by the formation of an aneurysm in the central zone. It can also occur near large veins that run through the layers of the retina. In this case, exudative foci in the fundus are noted. As a rule, they have a white or yellow tint, as well as fuzzy borders. With such an ailment, retinal edema is noted, located in the central region, as well as in the region of the central and larger vessels. This phenomenon is the main symptom of non-proliferative retinopathy in diabetes mellitus.
As for the proliferative variety of the disease, this is the latest stage of the disease. Due to the fact that the retina does not receive enough nutrition, new vessels with fragile and thin walls begin to form. They are often called abnormal. Such vessels grow along the retina, and also cover a significant part of the vitreous body located inside the eye. They are not capable of disturbing vision, but are very fragile. They usually bleed. As a result, visual impairment occurs, which has serious consequences. Often the disease leads to complete blindness.
Basic Therapy Tips
Treatment of retinopathy in type 2 and type 1 diabetes is completely different. After all, their symptoms are not the same. In some cases, it is not possible to cure the disease completely without surgical intervention. As a rule, the treatment of the disease is carried out in a complex manner. The patient before the appointment of treatment shouldexamine not only the ophthalmologist, but also the endocrinologist. If the disease is in the second or third stage, then taking the drugs will not be enough. In such a situation, laser photocoagulation of the retina is required. This is the most efficient method.
Retinopathy in diabetes mellitus, the symptoms of which may appear only at the last stage, is a complex disease. Therapy is carried out with strict adherence to insulin therapy, as well as with the preparation of the correct diet for the patient. The patient is forbidden to consume large amounts of fats of animal origin. They are usually replaced with herbal products. Easily digestible carbohydrates should be excluded from the diet. With such a disease, they are very harmful.
Foods and preparations
Treatment of retinopathy in diabetes mellitus is a complex process that requires patience. First of all, it is worth compiling a diet for the patient. Experts recommend eating food that contains lipotropic components that are beneficial for the eyes. The patient's menu should include broccoli, black currants, blueberries and viburnum, hot and sweet peppers, Brussels sprouts, sea kale. In addition, foods such as new potatoes, dairy products, liver, fish oil, and so on should be present in the diet.
Besides this, it is worth taking vitamin complexes. Group B drugs are very useful for a patient with diabetes mellitus. They can be taken not only orally, but also parenterally.
Vitamins such as E, P and C have a positive effect on the walls of blood vessels. They have a protective effect. Effectiveangioprotective drugs are Doxium, Dicinon, Anginin.
Medications should only be taken as prescribed by specialists. Treatment of retinopathy in diabetes is not only the use of drugs. This disease requires regular and thorough ophthalmological examinations. In addition, it is necessary to regularly take tests to determine the level of sugar in the blood.
Herbal preparations from the pharmacy
So, retinopathy in diabetes mellitus, the symptoms of which become more pronounced in the last stages, is a disease that is very difficult to cure. In the pharmacy you can buy herbal medicines. Here is a list of the most effective:
- "Tanakan". This drug is prescribed quite often. This drug is made from a plant such as ginkgo biloba. The drug should be taken with meals three times a day, one tablet. The course is at least three months.
- Neurostrong. This is another effective drug. It is made from several components: blueberries, B vitamins, ginkgo biloba and lecithin. The drug is able to improve blood circulation, providing cells with normal respiration. This eliminates the risk of hemorrhages and blood clots. Neurostrong is prescribed up to 4 times a day, one tablet each.
- "Dibikor". Retinopathy in diabetes mellitus recedes before such a drug. How to treat the disease with such a remedy? Appointthe drug is half a gram up to two times a day. The drug should be taken approximately 20 minutes before morning and evening meals. Course - 6 months. The tool is able to improve metabolism and saturate tissue cells with useful components.
Aloe for illness
Retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can be treated with folk remedies, can cause serious consequences. Alternative medicine drugs are usually used to prevent the disease. If the symptoms of the disease have not yet appeared, or the disease is at an early stage, then you can try aloe-based preparations.
This plant has unique properties and is used to treat many problems. In order to prepare a medicinal product, you will need aloe, whose age does not exceed three years. The plant must be carefully examined and he althy and fleshy leaves should be selected. Wash them thoroughly and then wrap them in paper. Better to use parchment. The resulting raw materials should be kept for some time on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. To be more precise, it will take 12 days for this. Only after that the aloe leaves can be crushed. To do this, it is better to use a meat grinder or a blender.
The resulting mass should be squeezed out with gauze. The juice must be filtered using a sufficiently dense cloth, and then placed on fire and brought to a boil. The resulting composition should be boiled for about three minutes.
You can't store ready-made juice for a long time. The drug begins to lose its properties very quickly. Therefore, to prepare in this way meansbetter before the reception. Take aloe juice three times a day for a teaspoon half an hour before meals. In addition, the drug can be instilled into the eyes. You need to do this at night. A few drops will suffice. However, when instilling, you should be careful. Such therapy should be carried out only with the permission of the attending physician.
Infusions and juices
How else is retinopathy removed in diabetes? Treatment with folk remedies is usually prescribed to maintain the patient's condition, as well as for prevention. If the disease is at the initial stage, then such drugs can stop its further development. In alternative medicine, various herbal infusions are used.
One of the most effective is a drug based on calendula. To prepare it, you need to grind the flowers of this plant and pour hot water. Half a liter of boiling water requires three teaspoons of raw materials. The container with grass must be wrapped and insisted for three hours. The finished composition should be well filtered. You need to take an infusion of calendula up to four times a day for ½ cup. The same alternative medicine can be used as an eye drop.
The blueberry-based infusion also has a good effect. To prepare this drug, you need to pour a tablespoon of berries with a glass of boiling water. The drug should be infused for an hour. The finished product should be drunk in a day.
Useful and juices from various berries. After all, they contain a large number of usefulcomponents. To combat retinopathy in diabetes, you can drink a drink made from lingonberries. It is worth noting that the daily use of such juice helps to overcome even caretinopathy at the initial stage.
Amazing collection
To eliminate retinopathy in diabetes, you can use a variety of fees. If desired, such a tool can be prepared independently. Here is one of the effective alternative medicine recipes.
For cooking you will need: chopped burdock root, chopped leaves, as well as willow bark, bean leaves, knotweed, bearberry, nettle, walnut, birch and mint leaves. Components must be taken in equal proportions. In a deep container, combine all the ingredients of the collection, and then mix. A tablespoon of the resulting mixture should be brewed with half a liter of boiling water. The drug should be infused for an hour. After that, you need to strain it. This collection should be consumed in half a glass, preferably before meals. The course is at least 3 months. The effect will be achieved if you use the remedy without interruption. Now you know what retinopathy is in diabetic patients. Do not forget that any therapy with non-traditional methods should not be carried out without the advice of specialists. Otherwise, it can only hurt.
