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Type Two with Glaucoma

V

Val45

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi - I would be interested to hear the experiences of other Type 2 Diabetics who like me have Glaucoma and perhaps other eye issues. There was an article on the list last August about Glaucoma medication maybe helping with reduction of HBA1C readings and no one seemed to follow this up. I was diagnosed as Type 2 in October 2014.

My vision is impaired by retinal damage, probably from Glaucoma but maybe also by Diabetic Retinopathy. Not sure how one knows where one starts and the other ends! This has affected both eyes and at the moment I am waiting to see another retinal specialist and to get some new glasses.

Does anyone have this combination of ailments too? I am going to try out some dietary supplements that will help my diabetes (hopefully) and at the same time support my eye health. Any ideas?

Val45
 
I have type 2 diabetes and also have glaucoma. I go to the eye hospital everything 6 months for tests to see if eyesight is stable or deteriorating. The last visit it was slightly worse and have next appointment at end of February . At the moment I put eye drops in my eyes twice a day not nice but have got used to it . I have no signs of retinopathy at the moment so hope it stays that way !
 
I suffered a central retinal occlusion way back in 1997 which left me virtually blind in the left eye. At my initial examination the problem was further worsened where it was also found that I had been suffering from open angle Glaucoma which had obviously been present for some time prior to the retinal occlusion occurring and had slowly been robbing me of a fair amount of my sight without my being aware of it.
Unfortunately there if often little that the medical profession can do to repair visual damage due to the unforeseen and silent advancement of Glaucoma, very often the best that can be achieved is to stabilise the condition and prevent further damage from occurring.
For this reason it is vital to take any prescribed eye-drops and attend regular hospital eye clinics for a detailed eye examination. I'm not talking here about the yearly eye check that we diabetics attend where our 'Retina' is photographed and then examined for any damage as a direct result of having diabetes. These tests are only partial, and are not intended as a full diagnostic test that would cover the majority of possible eye problems, so for that reason alone you must attend the eye-clinic or hospital.
Over the years my sight hasn't worsened, though I am in effect now registered as blind, so taking your prescribed eye drop medications is essential if you want to preserve your sight.
I found that getting the drops into my eyes was a dreaded torture, until I eventually discovered a device known as the 'Autodrop' which consists of a plastic eye drop bottle holder that positions the eye drop bottle over the eye so that a drop can be released accurately into the correct position and not wasted by it's being lost over the forehead, cheeks or nose.
I would advise you to not rush out and obtain any new glasses until both your diabetes and eye pressures are under good control.
 
I don't have glaucoma ( yet) but my mum and grandmother both have it so it is important to have regular eye tests on top of the retinal scans at the hospital. The only advice my mum was given was to keep weight and BP down and to quit smoking which she did. I believe walking is good exercise for both glaucoma and diabetes so I try and include that in my daily routine.
 
cold ethyl said:
I don't have glaucoma ( yet) but my mum and grandmother both have it so it is important to have regular eye tests on top of the retinal scans at the hospital. The only advice my mum was given was to keep weight and BP down and to quit smoking which she did. I believe walking is good exercise for both glaucoma and diabetes so I try and include that in my daily routine.
Click to expand...
 
Well done your Mum with quitting the smoking! Walking good for diabetes and glaucoma - yes! Ensure that an optician checks your eye pressure each year - as your Mum had it too you can get free eye tests. Good eh!
 
Val45 said:
Well done your Mum with quitting the smoking! Walking good for diabetes and glaucoma - yes! Ensure that an optician checks your eye pressure each year - as your Mum had it too you can get free eye tests. Good eh!
Click to expand...

I eventually plucked up courage to get mine tested last year and everything looking good so far. My poor gran was diagnosed at 23 ( she had an eye tumour and lost one eye and it was picked up then) - mum was in her fifties and so far has not quite developed full blown glaucoma thanks to the amazing eye clinic at the RVI in Newcastle. I'm hoping that I've inherited my dad's eye genes !!
 
I think there are different sets of genes related to glaucoma and its inheritance. Not sure if the set I have from Mum is a dominant gene (that if inherited gives you the condition) or if I have inherited two recessive ones. Don't know my father's family so no idea if they had glaucoma or not. Have two daughters who get eye pressure checks fairly regularly ie when they fancy new glasses!
 
Val45 said:
I think there are different sets of genes related to glaucoma and its inheritance. Not sure if the set I have from Mum is a dominant gene (that if inherited gives you the condition) or if I have inherited two recessive ones. Don't know my father's family so no idea if they had glaucoma or not. Have two daughters who get eye pressure checks fairly regularly ie when they fancy new glasses!
Click to expand...

That's interesting! Thank you.

We have glaucoma in the family (grandmother and 3 great aunts, on maternal side).
But my mother (81 yrs) my sis (50) and myself (47) have no signs of it so far...

Maybe our family have the recessive gene

* bustles off to read up on it *
 
Lazybones said:
I suffered a central retinal occlusion way back in 1997 which left me virtually blind in the left eye. At my initial examination the problem was further worsened where it was also found that I had been suffering from open angle Glaucoma which had obviously been present for some time prior to the retinal occlusion occurring and had slowly been robbing me of a fair amount of my sight without my being aware of it.
Unfortunately there if often little that the medical profession can do to repair visual damage due to the unforeseen and silent advancement of Glaucoma, very often the best that can be achieved is to stabilise the condition and prevent further damage from occurring.
For this reason it is vital to take any prescribed eye-drops and attend regular hospital eye clinics for a detailed eye examination. I'm not talking here about the yearly eye check that we diabetics attend where our 'Retina' is photographed and then examined for any damage as a direct result of having diabetes. These tests are only partial, and are not intended as a full diagnostic test that would cover the majority of possible eye problems, so for that reason alone you must attend the eye-clinic or hospital.
Over the years my sight hasn't worsened, though I am in effect now registered as blind, so taking your prescribed eye drop medications is essential if you want to preserve your sight.
I found that getting the drops into my eyes was a dreaded torture, until I eventually discovered a device known as the 'Autodrop' which consists of a plastic eye drop bottle holder that positions the eye drop bottle over the eye so that a drop can be released accurately into the correct position and not wasted by it's being lost over the forehead, cheeks or nose.
I would advise you to not rush out and obtain any new glasses until both your diabetes and eye pressures are under good control.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Lazybones, do we know what actually occludes a vein in the eye? Have sent to RNIB for an autodropper and some amber coloured shades. Val45
 
Dear Val45.
Further to your recent posting, an occlusion is the medical name given to a blockage within a minute vein or capillary, which in my case occurred completely without warning in the central cluster of my optic nerve fibres in my left eye. The blockage was put down to something floating within my bloodstream (possible a small cholesterol particle) which became lodged and blocked one of the minute veins within my left eye. Since this occurrence in 1997 when diabetes was suspected but not proven and I have been ordered to take 'Aspirin' 2x 75 mg daily to help keep my blood platelets thinned and help in reducing any likely further occurrence.
I'm pleased that you have found a source for the 'Autodrop' for as I've mentioned to you, I would be totally lost without mine. They are a little expensive for what they are, but the cost is well outweighed by the advantage of getting the eye-drop on target and into the eye without wasting any eye-drops.
The only disadvantage and problem is with the eye-drop bottle sizes, which until recently were standardised and fitted the 'Autodrop' easily, and also with the thickness of the plastic eye-drop bottles which makes them much more difficult to squeeze so as to release a single eye-drop.

Hope this is of benefit - Good luck with your 'Autodrop'
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lazybones said:
Dear Val45.
Further to your recent posting, an occlusion is the medical name given to a blockage within a minute vein or capillary, which in my case occurred completely without warning in the central cluster of my optic nerve fibres in my left eye. The blockage was put down to something floating within my bloodstream (possible a small cholesterol particle) which became lodged and blocked one of the minute veins within my left eye. Since this occurrence in 1997 when diabetes was suspected but not proven and I have been ordered to take 'Aspirin' 2x 75 mg daily to help keep my blood platelets thinned and help in reducing any likely further occurrence.
I'm pleased that you have found a source for the 'Autodrop' for as I've mentioned to you, I would be totally lost without mine. They are a little expensive for what they are, but the cost is well outweighed by the advantage of getting the eye-drop on target and into the eye without wasting any eye-drops.
The only disadvantage and problem is with the eye-drop bottle sizes, which until recently were standardised and fitted the 'Autodrop' easily, and also with the thickness of the plastic eye-drop bottles which makes them much more difficult to squeeze so as to release a single eye-drop.

Hope this is of benefit - Good luck with your 'Autodrop'
Click to expand...
 
Dear Lazybones, I did wonder if the occlusion might be related to cholesterol. I too take dispersible aspirin - just the one though! We shall see how the autodrop works with different drop containers. Some flood onto my face and others are so solid and difficult to get to work. Have just started on Glic at half a tab a day - not really xpecting this to work but it will get me used to taking it instead of Metformin. Val45
 
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