I have worn specs since I was about 12 (I can't read the top letter without my specs). My vision has been quite stable since my 20s, but over the last couple of years it has deteriorated and I'm now on my first pair of varifocals. This may be down to middle age, I was expecting things to head downhill about now, but I'm begining to get a bit anxious about my diabetic eye clinic appointment.
Eye Problems?
- Thread starter squirrel
- Start Date
Well the letter arrived yesterday that I was hoping wouldn't and I have an out-patient appointment at the local hospital for a eye consultant to have a look at my eyes again and decide if I need to have further treatment. But as normal NHS I have well over a month nearly two to wait for this. Does anyone know if this can be done privately and quicker? I have PPP health insurance through work.
I do have another question which is worrying me a lot. I know there is consensus that by low carbing and normalising your blood sugars this can bring on retinopathy fast as I believe this to be my case but is there any evidence to suggest it brings on any other complications too? I am now extremely worried and part of me is kicking myself for being so desperate to improve my control.
I have two young sons, one only 5 months and all I wanted to do was prolong my life so that I can watch them grow up into men and play football for England, I feel like I've made this worse not better. Ok the football for England bit maybe a bit too much but I'll take Liverpool if not full internationals.
I do have another question which is worrying me a lot. I know there is consensus that by low carbing and normalising your blood sugars this can bring on retinopathy fast as I believe this to be my case but is there any evidence to suggest it brings on any other complications too? I am now extremely worried and part of me is kicking myself for being so desperate to improve my control.
I have two young sons, one only 5 months and all I wanted to do was prolong my life so that I can watch them grow up into men and play football for England, I feel like I've made this worse not better. Ok the football for England bit maybe a bit too much but I'll take Liverpool if not full internationals.
Hi Blackadder.
Firstly, most Health Care Policy's cover you for Consultations and Treatments. I suggest you contact your provider and ask the question there ASAP ?
Low carbing causing Retinopathy ? A concensus ? That's a new one to me. Do you have a link about this ? I would be very interested to see that information.
There was a small study entitled, 'Dietary carbs related to vision loss'. Here is a link to the information.
http://www.lowvision.com/dietary-carbs- ... sion-loss/
Here is a small extract from that study:
Regular consumption of a diet with a high-glycemic index - a diet containing carbs that quickly raise blood sugar levels — significantly increased the risk of AMD relative to regular consumption of a diet with a low-glycemic index.
The researchers calculate that 20 percent of AMD cases could have been prevented if subjects had consumed diets with a low-glycemic index.
As you can see, it is about high GI diet, which increases Bg levels which cause the damage.
If you gain better control of your Diabetes and tight control of your Bg levels it should only have a beneficial effect to your health and life span.
Ken.
Firstly, most Health Care Policy's cover you for Consultations and Treatments. I suggest you contact your provider and ask the question there ASAP ?
Low carbing causing Retinopathy ? A concensus ? That's a new one to me. Do you have a link about this ? I would be very interested to see that information.
There was a small study entitled, 'Dietary carbs related to vision loss'. Here is a link to the information.
http://www.lowvision.com/dietary-carbs- ... sion-loss/
Here is a small extract from that study:
Regular consumption of a diet with a high-glycemic index - a diet containing carbs that quickly raise blood sugar levels — significantly increased the risk of AMD relative to regular consumption of a diet with a low-glycemic index.
The researchers calculate that 20 percent of AMD cases could have been prevented if subjects had consumed diets with a low-glycemic index.
As you can see, it is about high GI diet, which increases Bg levels which cause the damage.
If you gain better control of your Diabetes and tight control of your Bg levels it should only have a beneficial effect to your health and life span.
Ken.
Apologies Cuglia my wording was wrong.
What I meant to say was that there is evidence to suggest that improving or normalising your BS's can cause retinopathy to progress quicker and more aggressively during the first stages. I didn't mean Low Carbing sorry.
What I meant to say was that there is evidence to suggest that improving or normalising your BS's can cause retinopathy to progress quicker and more aggressively during the first stages. I didn't mean Low Carbing sorry.
Hi Blackadder.
Thanks for the update. Doesn't make this any easier. I have to ask, what evidence ? I know nothing of this ?
How is diabetic retinopathy treated?
During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.
That is a small extract from the National Eye Institute which can be found here:
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp
Ken.
Thanks for the update. Doesn't make this any easier. I have to ask, what evidence ? I know nothing of this ?
How is diabetic retinopathy treated?
During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.
That is a small extract from the National Eye Institute which can be found here:
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp
Ken.
Yes but its only a temporary dip and is experienced by quite a few - although not all - patients. The long term benefits of blood sugar normalisation far outweigh the short-term worsening of retinopathy, which does improve over a longer period of time.Blackadder said:
phoenix
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Blackstone is right there is evidence that a rapid lowering of control will increase the speed of progression. This is where why I live a fluorescein angiogram of the eyes is required before people go onto pump therapy .If theres existing retinopathy and a high HbA1c, they are advised to alter things slowly and monitored more carefully
As Kegstore says, its a dip, and doesn't happen to everyone . After 3 years of good control progression slows to below the 'average' rate..
Except in a few cases, it only occurs if there was retinopathy in the first place. At the Good Hope hospital in ' Birmingham ' 32% of patients with retinopathy progressed as their HbA1c was lowered, here, whereas only 2% of those with no retinopathy progressed.'
Its wrong to think that any improvement in control 'caused' the damage because keeping levels high may well have caused even more serious problems. In the long term, better control is the only sensible option.
Incidently slowing progression doesn't just involve glucose levels. its a salutory lesson for all of us to read that there is a linear relationship between blood pressure and retinopathy ,a near linear one with lipids and a probable near linear one with smoking.
As Kegstore says, its a dip, and doesn't happen to everyone . After 3 years of good control progression slows to below the 'average' rate..
Except in a few cases, it only occurs if there was retinopathy in the first place. At the Good Hope hospital in ' Birmingham ' 32% of patients with retinopathy progressed as their HbA1c was lowered, here, whereas only 2% of those with no retinopathy progressed.'
Its wrong to think that any improvement in control 'caused' the damage because keeping levels high may well have caused even more serious problems. In the long term, better control is the only sensible option.
Incidently slowing progression doesn't just involve glucose levels. its a salutory lesson for all of us to read that there is a linear relationship between blood pressure and retinopathy ,a near linear one with lipids and a probable near linear one with smoking.
