Symptoms

[Lorna]

Hi I'm 21 and have had diabetes for 13 years. I usually have my eyes tested once a year (although I hate it). I was just wondering if anyone knows if there are any symptons to tell you that you are about to develop retinopathy?

[HeatherP]

I'm not sure, but I think it's something they see in the back of your eyes, and not "symptomatic" in the early stages.

I might be wrong though,
HeatherP

[lgvincent]

I thought you would see a spot, perhaps in the center of the eye. I could be wrong though, because I usually am.

[sc0]

My understanding is that there are normally no symptoms. I admit to being a bit light on the research side, so I consulted google. I hope it's ok to quote informational URLs here - profound apologies if not. *gulp*

Quote from http://health.allrefer.com/health/diabetic-retinopathy-symptoms.html

Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms & Signs

Decreased visual acuity
Floating spots in the vision (floaters)

Many people have no preliminary symptoms before a major
hemorrhage in the eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should be screened regularly.
------------------------------------------------[unquote]

I'm deeply worried about this myself, as I work with computers and the thought of losing my sight scares the **** out of me. I'll do some more digging - if I find anything else of interest I'll post it.

I do know, however that if you're in the UK that there is a new NHS initiative to screen all registered diabetics at the new Diabetic Retinopathy screening programs being set up around the country. I have an appointment fairly soon. I'll let you know how it goes!

Cheers,

sc0.

[HeatherP]

Just wanted to mention that if you do show signs of retinopathy, if you get control over your b/s's you may be able to improve your vision. So if the doc does say you've got it - don't lose hope. Glad you're going to the doc, it's a good first step in the right direction.

[sc0]

Here's a much better (if a bit scarey) informational URL. This one is much more comprehensive, but going along with what Heather said, it reckons that even people with advanced retinopathy can have up to 90% chance of restoring "useful" vision restored.

http://www.visionconnection.org/Content/YourVision/EyeDisorders/DiabetesRelatedEyeDisease/DiabeticRetinopathy.htm

There's a ton of stuff on google on this. It's of particular interest to me cos my Dad has Glaucoma (which is inherited on the male side, I believe - could be wrong).

Is there anyone out there who has a personal experience of this, or treatment of the condition (at any stage) who would be willing to share?

sc0.

[Deager]

Here goes.....my husband is the diabetic...type 1 for 36 years....but we've been together/married 27 years and have been thru so much together with this disease that I almost consider myself diabetic thru our long history together. He reads the Forum here, but is not able to type at this time because of some undiagnosed problem with his hands/arms. We're working on that, but in the meantime....a personal experience.......

One of the things we have gone thru is retinopathy. My husband, Jack, noticed his vision was blurry around the edges and that when he would look at something light colored....say the page of a book....he would see black spots. Ever aware of the complications from dm, we went to an opthamologist who confirmed he did indeed have 'floaters' and they were more than likely caused by retinopathy.

He sent us to an eye specialist who, over the next 4 months, did a total of 13 laser eye surgeries on Jack's eyes. The black spots were bleeders and the laser basically cauterized them. These procedures saved Jack's eyesight, altho he has very little peripheral vision now....but better than being blind.

The laser was done in the doctor's office (altho his was more of a mini hospital). Jack sat in a chair, his head was strapped to a machine (so that his head wouldn't move) very like the one used to have your eyes checked for glaucoma and the doc sat on the other side looking thru a microscope type viewer and would locate a bleeder and trigger the laser. Jack said it was uncomfortable, but not painful. He said he could feel a 'bit of heat' with each 'shot' but that was not painful either. His eyes were dialated for this purpose and the surgeries lasted anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour (with a break around 30 minutes if I remember correctly).

That was 10 years ago and he hasn't had to have any treatments since. His eyes are checked every year and he hasn't had a recurrance of any bleeding.

It would be a good idea for anyone to check out the links sc0 has provided and do even more searching on your own, as there is a lot to know about retinopathy and all I did here was give a personal experience. Personally, I am grateful for the advances made on the complications of this disease. It gives both of us hope that as things come up, there are ways to deal with them .

[Gina]

thanks for the information

[lgvincent]

I have a million floaters and no peripheral vision either. If there is anything around me, there's a good chance I'll run into it. I also get lots of flashes now. They were scary when they first started and they still show up without warning but I've gotten used to them. Every now and then everything will go black for a while, sometimes with part of my field of vision, sometimes all of it. I don't have retinopathy though. At least it can be treated, which is an advantage.

[Deager]

Ack...I'd forgotten about the flashes Igvincent....he did have those too.

I'm sure you and your doc are keeping a close eye (no pun intended) on your symptoms.

[lgvincent]

Yes, I get to go get tortured by the eye surgeon every three months. There's nothing they can do for this condition but I guess it's so rare they use me to teach those surgeons in training what to look for. I'm told the disease I have only occurs in 1 in 25,000 and only occurs in males so I don't know if they say it occurs in 1 in 25,000 people or 1 in 25,000 men. I really enjoy when they put those bright lights right up to the eye and it's sitting there blinding me and I can't blink or move my eye for what feels like hours at a time. It really is uncomfortable but I guess it has to be done. They'll sometimes make drawings of my eyes and I'll look at them and think "Ugh, my eyes really look like THAT!!!"

[sc0]

Thanks very much, Deager for sharing your (and your husband's) experience. I've been neglecting my condition off and on ever since I was diagnosed about 7 years (?) ago. I really hope that the problem with his hands can be treated satisfactorily. My hands swell a bit when I have high BG, so your story has given me even more incentive to get my *ss in gear!

From what I've read so far, retinopathy appears to occur in non-diabetics as well, especially in people with high blood pressure due to the fragility of the blood vessels in the eye. There are several reasons for this in a diabetics case, but I'd refer anyone to the URLs I quoted previously rather than me trying to sound knowledgeable.

As a side note, I was ignorant of this particular fact and figured it might be a useful post here: The difference between an Optician, an Optometrist and an Opthalmologist. See this URL:

http://www.search.co.tt/members/ostt/which.html

It would appear (in difference to what I thought I knew before) that the first two are simply concerned and qualified to prescribe glasses/lenses but not to diagnose or treat eye diseases or conditions. The latter is the one you must visit for the proper care for your diabetes. My optician has previously referred me to an Opthalmologist, but that's the extent of their capacity to comment on the condition of your retina.

With what I know now, I won't be missing any more retinopathy screening appointments. Ever.

sc0.

[Lorna]

Thanks for that, its scary though.

[sc0]

I'm sorry Lorna - wasn't my intention! =(

I think the best thing anyone can do is make themselves as well informed about this kind of this as possible. Being a little scared of it happening is probably a good thing as it might break the inertia that comes with "it won't happen to me", and missing the appointments. I'm reassured now that as long as I attend my screening appointments regularly (instead of not at all up until now!) the chances of anything happening to my eyes are dramatically reduced.

Get informed, say to yourself "ok, this is something I need to take very seriously - I'm not going to let this happen to me" and go get screened. Then pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

I am.

=)

sc0.

[Lorna]

I know. Does anyone know if there is any way of doing it without the eye drops?

[Teresa]

my dads diabetic, T2, and he has had lazer surgery on his eyes, and they were loads better afterwards... he has just had two cataracts removed too - but i think the cataract was an old age thing rather than a diabetic thing...

he had to have eye drops often with both