3 Facts you should know about Diabetes from an Eye Doctor.
As we approach this time of year, all sorts of sugary treats start to appear more frequently. What better time to bring awareness to Diabetes than during this time of year. Being that November is Diabetic Awareness month, it's a perfect opportunity to talk about diabetic disease.
As an eye doctor, you may find that my involvement around diabetes to be limited but that couldn’t be far from the truth. I actually talk about it on a daily basis with my patients and here is what I think you should know about diabetes:
Diabetes and diabetic eye disease is more prevalent than you think. Lets do a quick run down on some worldwide stats: 422 million people worldwide have diabetes and 93 million people suffer from eye damage caused by diabetes. Just to give you a comparable reference, the UK has a population of 63 million which is still less than the number of people worldwide who suffer from diabetic eye damage. Combine the populations of Spain and Canada to get the number of people who have diabetic eye disease. 30 million Americans have diabetes with 8 million people who have diabetic eye disease. That means one in ten adults has diabetes. If you’re a healthcare provider or professional, you get this. I practice in a relatively health-focussed community where you will find a ton of people walking outside, riding bikes, running or at the gym, however this statistic still holds true. At least 2 patients that I see per day, have diabetes type 2. Do these statistics seem far from your reality? Let me ask you this: Are you overweight? Do you seldom exercise? Do you have a family history of diabetes? Have you had gestational diabetes? If you can say yes to any of the above, then these statistics can very well include you, along with other risks factors including certain races, age, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Diet and exercise play a heavy role in preventing and delaying the onset of diabetes. I feel like this is a no brainer but often so difficult to live out. Only 23% of Americans get enough exercise. Everyone seems too busy for exercise, thus prioritizing eating healthy with exercise, often falls behind on a to-do list. The reality is that it takes some time to re-train your brain on eating healthy and exercising. It also takes re-prioritizing that time by planning healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and including physical activity during the week or weekend. We have to change our habits. Convenience is the commodity. Limiting fried foods, food high in saturated fat and salt, avoiding frequent sweets, beverages with added sugars and simple or processed carbohydrates. Replacing those foods with fresh veggies, fruits, whole grains, protein and some dairy can fend against complications arising from high blood sugar levels. But the benefits are alarmingly rewarding. Physical activity and weight loss reduces the risk of diabetes type 2 by 58% in higher risk populations. 150 minutes per week (thats 2.5 hours/week) has significant impact on blood sugar control. Women who exercise at least 4 hours a week have a 40% lower risk of heart disease, which can be a complication of diabetes.
Diabetes can cause blindness. I often tell my diabetic patients this very fact and they are shocked. Initial symptoms of high blood sugar levels are often less marked, so it makes it difficult to diagnose because some patients have no symptoms. This limits a timely diagnosis of the disease, and often complications have already arisen. This is why a comprehensive eye exam is so important. Did you know the one place where we can see blood vessels (without opening up the body) is in the eye? Your eye doctor has a direct view of these blood vessels every time he or she examines the health of your eyes. Chronic high blood sugars damage those blood vessels in the eye which causes leakage, most in the way of bleeding. The initial events and changes to the blood vessels leads to a cascade of events; this eventually leads to reduced vision or blindness by way of damage to retina and macula, distortion to central vision, changes in prescription, double vision, cataracts and glaucoma, retina detachments.
Ok, so you can see why diabetes is a big deal, right? The good news is that it's a disease that is preventable and for those individuals who already have the disease, delaying the onset of damage can happen with careful consideration to diet, physical activity, maintaining normal body weigh and regular health checks with your primary care physician including your eye doctor.
Here’s to balance and moderation as we approach this holiday season!
Stay Health & Happy!
Dr. Jennifer Wademan
