Finally, how can you prevent diabetic retinopathy and its complications?
Diabetes is a lifelong disease, and you can’t always avoid diabetic retinopathy. But, it doesn’t always lead to vision loss. You can take an active role in reducing its risk or -at least- preventing severe vision loss by doing the following:
Manage your diabetes
Keep a healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, and regular exercise. Take your medications and insulin as your doctor prescribed and follow his recommendations.
Monitor your blood sugar
Check and record your blood glucose, especially under stress, like illness. Ask your doctor how you can do this and when you should worry about your glucose level. Ask him about the HB-A1C test that reflects the glucose control over the previous three months. Most patients should have HB-A1C less than 7.
Stop smoking
Smoking increases the risk of retinopathy and all other complications of diabetes. Stopping is necessary.
Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and keep them under control.
Attend your diabetic eye screening appointments to catch retinopathy in its early stages before causing severe damage.
Seek early medical advice.
Call your eye doctor when you feel vision changes, such as hazy, blurry, or spotty vision.
Diabetes puts your sight at risk, but you can reduce this risk and save your eyesight by following an effective management plan for your diabetes.
