Type 1 Background diabetic retinopathy

[rebeccariley22493]

I've just received my results from a diabetic eye screening test that I recently attended. The results show that I have some background retinopathy. Having read through the advice leaflet posted with my results, I appear to be doing everything I should be eg; good blood glucose levels, I have stopped smoking since September last year, and every visit I have made to the diabetic clinic I am told that I am doing well to control my diabetes. I'm thoroughly ****** off with these results to say the least and I can't understand why retinopathy may now be occurring. This is the first complication I have come across since being diagnosed 3 and a half years ago and I feel like everything has been a waste of time. Is there anything extra I can do to help slow the progression of this?

 

[urbanracer]

Hi @rebeccariley22493 ,

Welcome to the forums, hope you find something useful here.

Background retinopathy may not be permanent or lead to full retinopathy. I had background retinopathy at diagnosis but was clear 6 months later when my sugar levels came down. Curiously at the last test I seem to have it back again but my blood sugars had been unexplainably high for a couple of weeks prior to the test.

May I ask, what do you mean by 'good blood glucose levels' ? Are you willing to reveal the numbers ?

 

[Freema]

I've just received my results from a diabetic eye screening test that I recently attended. The results show that I have some background retinopathy. Having read through the advice leaflet posted with my results, I appear to be doing everything I should be eg; good blood glucose levels, I have stopped smoking since September last year, and every visit I have made to the diabetic clinic I am told that I am doing well to control my diabetes. I'm thoroughly ****** off with these results to say the least and I can't understand why retinopathy may now be occurring. This is the first complication I have come across since being diagnosed 3 and a half years ago and I feel like everything has been a waste of time. Is there anything extra I can do to help slow the progression of this?

how low is your HbA1c ?

 

[catapillar]

I believe @noblehead can point to some good advice on the meaning of the diagnosis and issues to be aware of in dealing with retinopathy.

When you say you're doing well to control your diabetes, what does your control actually look like, what's your hba1c? What do your post prandial tests look like?

My understanding is that good diabetic control gives you the best chance of avoiding diabetic complications and while you have suffered a resolvable complication even with good control you have to think that your good control is a) avoiding it be a worse retinopathy diagnosis and b) avoiding all the other diabetic complications.

There is some discussion that some people may simply be more vulnerable to diabetic complications even when they have good control. But one unsettling result doesn't mean that you fall into that camp, so don't give up on your good control because of today's frustrations.

I also understand that smoking essentially weakens the veins and causes problems with circulation. Which is pretty risky when diabetes is a vascular disease. Well done on giving up.

 

[Dark Horse]

Also bear in mind that the result may just be wrong. Screening is designed to detect sight-threatening retinopathy which requires hospital referral and, quite rightly, is much more accurate at doing this than it is at detecting the difference between 'no retinopathy' and 'background retinopathy' (which doesn't affect eyesight and doesn't need treatment).

If you get 'background retinopathy' results consistently for the next 4 or 5 years then you probably really do have background retinopathy but if it's 'gone' next time then maybe it was just a speck of dust on the lens. Even if you do have background retinopathy, it doesn't mean that progression to sight-threatening retinopathy is inevitable. Just keep on working at good control of diabetes and blood pressure which will help minimise the risk of progression.

 

[noblehead]

This is the first complication I have come across since being diagnosed 3 and a half years ago and I feel like everything has been a waste of time

No it hasn't been a waste of time, understandably your upset by the results of the eye screening but being told that you have Background Retinopathy doesn't mean it will progress to the Pre-Proliferative stage, as @urbanracer mentions in some people BR can just disappear on its own where in other people it can unfortunately progress to the next stage.

Is there anything extra I can do to help slow the progression of this?

Just keep doing what your doing, keep your bg levels under control and try and avoid the swings from high to low. The SD (Standard Deviation) feature on your bg meter is a handy tool to measure if your diabetes is under control (Google SD for more info).

Also be sure to keep your bp and cholesterol levels in check, especially your bp, so if its high or borderline then speak with your Dr about lowering it, but also be sure to eat a healthy diet rich in fruit & vegetables as this is said to help aid eye health.
Without saying any more have a look at the following, it has a wealth of information and advice on diabetic retinopathy and is worth bookmarking:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/back_diabetic_retinopathy.html

Best wishes.