I'm worried about my eyes

Andrew, I am further down the retinopathy road than you, but something I have observed is that the eyes are the LAST to settle down following a radical change in glucose control, so your experience is not uncommon. Also, provided you catch them early enough, some people do report a reversing of initial signs of complications, but only following a significant tightening of control.

An HbA1c of 6.8% is not bad but it could be a lot better too! Don't forget your blood pressure as well, this is just as important when dealing with the microvascular system, so your kidneys benefit too. HOW you get your numbers better I will leave to someone else, as my experience is from a T1 perspective. Good luck!

Hi Andrew

To try and put your mind at ease.

The whole purpose of eye screening is to pick up any potential eye complications earlier rather than later. One of the reasons people with diabetes lost their sight was because screening was initially not available & also a vast majority of people failed to attend the appointment choosing instead to ignore their invitation either because the purpose of the appointment had not been explained to them or they just wanted to ignore it.

Controlling blood glucose levels & not smoking can reduce the risk of getting sight-threatening eye changes.

Have you been given a follow on appointment yet?

The following may also be helpful to peruse if you haven't already been given a copy
http://www.retinalscreening.nhs.uk/user ... abetes.pdf

best wishes

Txx

Hi
Background Retinopathy isn't serious and if you keep your BG under control, it may reverse.
there is a school of thought that complications are inevitable, but I don' hold to it. I firmly believe that BG control at non-diabetic level prevents damage and heals that which has already happened.
A non-diabetic Bg is close to 5mmol/l at all times and goes back down almost immediately if it evrer goed up.
I believe that complications come about as a result of injury to microblood vessels done by glycated haemoglobin.
Keep down to 5 for a year and your next retinal scan could be "all clear"

Hi Andrew

I had my first scan shortly after my diagnosis in March, I think it may have been late April after my blurred vision had gone and my eye sight had returned to normal.

I was told, like you, that I had background retinopaphy but the doctor who took the pics and looked at them while I waited also told me that I had one haemorrhage behind my left eye and that although it was really nothing to worry about he would have to report it as background retinopaphy. A few weeks later maybe a month I am not sure I had my eye tested for glasses and told the optician what I had been told about the haemorrhage, he gave me a very thorough eye examination and although he didn't dilate my eyes as is done at a retinal screening he said that after a good hard look he could see no damage.

Now it could be that he saw nothing because he didnt dilate my eyes but it could also be that as my eyesight had settled back down the small amount of damage had repaired itself. I wont know until next year when a new photo is taken and can be compared to this years.

But I would say to you not to worry about background retinopathy. Just carry on working on your bg control and all should be well.

hanadr said:

A non-diabetic Bg is close to 5mmol/l at all times and goes back down almost immediately if it ever goed up.

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A recent small survey showed that non diabetics spent almost an hour a day with their bg levels over 7.7mmol/L and also showed that non diabetics could swing between 1.6 and 13.4mmol/L. It also concluded that tight control is essential for avoiding complication but the survey shows it is incorrect to believe that non diabetics bg levels are always in the 5's.