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Diabetic retinopathy (retinal damage)

carina62

carina62

Well-Known Member
Messages
349
Location
Leicestershire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
miserable weather, rude and bad mannered people
My last 2 diabetic retinopathy screenings have shown up as 'background retinopathy'. I'm quite worried about this and eager to 'reverse' it. Is it possible for it to go away, say by the time my next appointment next year? thanks
 
carina62 said:
My last 2 diabetic retinopathy screenings have shown up as 'background retinopathy'. I'm quite worried about this and eager to 'reverse' it. Is it possible for it to go away, say by the time my next appointment next year? thanks
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I think you can reduce the retinopathy. I have had three monthly appointments for the last year and the doc has mentioned that the 'mountain' visible in my eye has gone down. Good luck with reducing yours!
 
carina62 said:
My last 2 diabetic retinopathy screenings have shown up as 'background retinopathy'. I'm quite worried about this and eager to 'reverse' it. Is it possible for it to go away, say by the time my next appointment next year? thanks
Click to expand...

Hi @carina62 , background retinopathy usually sorts itself out when you get your blood glucose levels under control, - now there's an incentive!
 
My optician told me last week that if I maintain good control my retinopathy should not get any worse or may even improve or just go away, I hope she is right.
 
Improving diabetic control can reduce the risk of the appearance of new features of diabetic retinopathy. However, some features (namely microaneurysms) can last for a few years before they disappear so someone can get a "background retinopathy" result even if improved control means no new features of diabetic retinopathy have appeared.
 
Thank you all for your positive comments - I will continue to get my levels down, it doesn't happen overnight does it? it seems to be taking me ages to lose weight and reduce my HBaic but I am determined to get there eventually and I guess the hard bit begins - keeping them low.
 
carina62 said:
Thank you all for your positive comments - I will continue to get my levels down, it doesn't happen overnight does it? it seems to be taking me ages to lose weight and reduce my HBaic but I am determined to get there eventually and I guess the hard bit begins - keeping them low.
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Wise words. A lot of people have background retinopathy (me included) but my reports for the last three years' screening have all said basically the same thing - be careful not to let it get worse. If they have any concerns, you will be called back in after a shorter period of time - maybe six months rather than twelve. This doesn't mean that things are going badly wrong, just that they want to monitor you a bit more closely pro tem.

Hang in there with the Hba1c - you will see people say "it's not a sprint; it's a marathon" on here quite a lot but, like all clichés, there's a degree of truth in in. Stay well :)
 
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