Can rapid weight loss prevent blindness in diabetics? Famous ophthalmologists debunk 4 myths

Diabetes is an invisible killer of vision health. We often find in outpatient clinics that people still have four major misconceptions about diabetes and eye diseases. For example: "Diabetes can affect the eyes, does that mean the eyes can get diabetes?", "Should diabetic patients lose weight quickly to reduce the risk of blindness?" Doctors point out that diabetic patients have a higher risk of eye disease than the average person. If blood sugar is not controlled and treatment is neglected, the risk of eye disease and blindness may increase, which should not be underestimated.

Chen Yingshan, director of the Department of Ophthalmology at Hsinchu Cathay Hospital, pointed out that diabetes is a chronic vascular disease. Because the blood vessels in the eyes are densely packed, blood is most needed to provide nutrients. If the blood sugar of diabetic patients is not well controlled, it is easy to cause eye diseases or even blindness. Therefore, people should pay attention to blood sugar control, quit smoking, and undergo regular retinal examinations.

Diabetic patients must quit smoking first to control blood sugar and protect their eyes

At the same time, diabetic patients must quit smoking. In addition, when the weather is cold, they should add clothes to keep warm, avoid staying up late and having an irregular lifestyle to protect their cardiovascular and eye blood vessels, and control their blood lipids and blood pressure. You can also take fish oil, lutein supplements, or eat more yellow-green vegetables, fruits, fish and other foods that help protect your eyes.

It is generally recommended that young diabetic patients under the age of 30 should undergo their first eye examination within 5 years of being diagnosed with diabetes, and then once a year thereafter; people over the age of 30 should undergo an eye examination immediately once diagnosed with diabetes, and then once a year thereafter; as for pregnant diabetic women, they should undergo an eye examination in the first 3 months of pregnancy, and then once every 3 months.

Diabetes is an invisible killer of vision health, and controlling blood sugar is the key.

4 Myths That May Increase Your Risk of Blindness

Director Chen Yingshan emphasized that people with diabetes have a higher risk of eye diseases than the general population. For example, the chance of a diabetic developing cataracts is 2 to 4 times higher than a normal person. If a person develops diabetes under the age of 40, the chance is as high as 20 times. They are also more likely to develop eye diseases such as glaucoma, retinopathy, and macular edema.

Myth 1: Diabetes is a systemic disease. Although the eyes will be affected, the impact is not significant?

• wrong. Since diabetes is a vascular disease, this chronic disease will affect the body's large and small blood vessels over time. Generally, the place with the highest blood vessel density and the most need for blood to provide nutrients is the eyes, especially the retina of the eye, which is commonly known as fundus disease, which can easily cause vision impairment and lead to a deterioration in quality of life.

Myth 2: Good vision during an eye test means that the person’s eyes are healthy?

• wrong. Visual acuity can only be one indicator of eye health. In fact, many patients may already have serious eye diseases, such as cataracts or glaucoma with good vision in the early stages, and diabetic retinopathy may already have retinal hemorrhage, but because of their excellent vision, the patients are unaware of it and miss the opportunity for early treatment.

Myth 3: Diabetes can affect the eyes, which means "the eyes get diabetes"?

• wrong. Diabetes affects the eyes, which does not mean that only the blood sugar in the eyes is elevated or that the eyes have diabetes. Rather, it means that the blood sugar in the body is elevated and the eyes are affected as well. There is no such thing as "eye diabetes" as an eye disease. Rather, the eyes are affected by diabetes, causing the structure and function of all parts of the eyes to deteriorate. In fact, everything from the very front of the eye to the very bottom of the eye can be affected by diabetes.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of eye disease than the general population, so it is important to have regular retinal examinations.

Myth 4: Diabetic patients should lose weight quickly to reduce the risk of blindness?

• wrong. If diabetic retinopathy occurs and blood sugar spikes, the blood sugar should not be lowered too quickly. Because the fundus is where the blood flows fastest in the human body and is extremely sensitive to oxygen demand, if blood sugar drops rapidly, it will easily cause fundus hypoxia, worsening the condition of patients with existing fundus lesions. This is the same reason why patients with hypertension will experience dizziness and black eyes when their blood pressure drops rapidly.

【Doctor's reminder】:

To prevent diabetic eye diseases, it is recommended to monitor and record blood sugar levels before and after meals. The most taboo is fluctuating blood sugar levels. Return for a checkup every 3 months to check your glycosylated hemoglobin level. It is best to keep it below 7%. If it exceeds 8%, discuss improvement methods with your doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important. Once you find poor vision or decreased vision, you should get checked out immediately.