bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Not all diabetics know that their eyes are in the disease’s cross hairs, too.
High blood sugar, a characteristic of diabetes, damages blood vessels throughout the body, including the eyes. It’s a gradual process, and there may be no symptoms early on.
Damage to blood vessels in the retina can cause a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. At worst, it may lead to blindness, warns German ophthalmologist Dr Ulrich Kellner.
While it can’t be cured, proper treatment can prevent, delay or reduce vision loss.

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of your eye. Its photoreceptor cells convert light that enters the eye into electrical signals that the optic nerve sends to the brain, forming a visual image.
“First the tiny blood vessels [that nourish the retina] become partially blocked, and then the larger ones,” explains Kellner. This can cause them to leak fluid and blood into the retina.
From riding roller-coaster to myopia, causes and risks of a detached retina
In a later stage, the eye tries to make up for its oxygen deficit by growing new blood vessels. But they’re fragile and can leak into the vitreous, the clear, gel-like fluid that fills the centre of the eye.
The abnormal blood vessels also stimulate growth of scar tissue, which eventually contracts. This can pull on the retina and detach it.
“Both of these things can dramatically worsen vision,” Kellner says.
In many cases, damaged retinal blood vessels leak fluid into the macula, the round area at the centre of the retina used for sharp central vision. This fluid build-up is called diabetic macular oedema.
Type 2 diabetes is insidious – most affected people don’t know how long they’ve had it
Dr Ulrich Kellner, German ophthalmologist
“As the retina gradually thickens, vision becomes progressively blurrier. So it’s harder to read or see clearly enough to drive,” Kellner says.
It’s important to detect diabetic retinopathy early, but it isn’t always easy.
“Type 2 diabetes [formerly known as adult onset diabetes] is insidious – most affected people don’t know how long they’ve had it,” says Kellner, who advises people to get an eye exam soon after a positive diagnosis.
If no problems are found and the patient’s blood sugar levels are under control, another check-up should be done after two years.
“But if blood sugar control is poor, the risk is higher and eye exams should be done more frequently,” Kellner says.
Diabetes and its health risks, from kidney and heart failure to amputations
The situation is different with type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes and by far the most frequent type in children and adolescents.
“Their eyes should be examined about five years after the appearance of type 1 diabetes,” Kellner says. “Nothing will happen before then.”
The standard treatment for diabetic retinopathy is laser therapy, according to Kellner. It can stop or slow blood and fluid leakage in the eye, and shrink abnormal blood vessels.

Fluid build-up in the retina can also be treated with injectable medications.
“They seal the blood vessels, preventing further leakage,” explains Kellner. “The fluid build-up recedes, and vision improves.”
While eye injections sound scary, the eye is numbed first and the injections are barely felt. Kellner says the medications have sharply lowered the risk of going blind from diabetic retinopathy.

When to see a doctor
Early detection – and early treatment – can halt or slow vision loss. According to the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, in the US state of Minnesota, you should see your doctor if you have any of these eye-related problems:

blurred vision


double vision


a dark or empty spot in the centre of your vision


difficulty reading


difficulty seeing well at night


droopy eyelid


eye pain


flashes of light


halos around lights


objects appear larger or smaller than usual


the sudden appearance of spots or “floaters” in your field of vision

Additional reporting by Staff reporter
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


One in three stroke victims can sing better than speak, and music helps memory, says study

Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, where traditional craftsmanship and local culture meet curated wellness experiences, pristine nature and utter tranquillity with no crowds

How to find joy and identify ‘joy blockers’, from a trauma expert who wrote a book on it

Vegan diet may fall short in 2 essential amino acids, study says, so eat more nuts, seeds

Wellness

How diabetes can trigger vision loss and blindness; 11 signs of diabetic retinopathy, and how to treat or prevent it

High blood sugar from diabetes can damage blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy can be treated or prevented if caught early, so eye tests are vital. Photo: Shutterstock

Laser therapy is the standard treatment for diabetic retinopathy. Photo: Shutterstock

Injectable medications seal the blood vessels in the retina, preventing further leakage, allowing fluid build-up to recede and vision to improve. Photo: Shutterstock

Diabetic retinopathy causes fluid to leak into the retina. Illustration: Shutterstock

How your sense of smell is closely linked to your memory, and how you can fine-tune it to improve your memory and thinking

Actively sniffing out scents in nature can help bolster your sense of smell. Photo: Shutterstock


Our sense of smell is deeply entwined with our memory, and recent research shows it is possible to actually improve memory and cognition by exercising our sense of smell, in nature and elsewhere. Photo: Shutterstock

The olfactory bulb, which manages our sense of smell, sits at the bottom of the cerebral hemisphere near the front of the brain. Illustration: Shutterstock 

Michael Leon, professor of neurobiology and behaviour at University of California Irvine, published research showing how boosting the sense of smell can improve cognition. Photo: University of California Irvine

Cynthia Woo was a member of Leon’s team. Photo: University of California Irvine

Unlike vision changes which we manage with glasses, and hearing impairment with hearing aids, “there has been no intervention for the loss of smell”, says Professor Michael Yassa. Photo: University of California Irvine

Protect your head and safeguard your ability to smell. Photo: Shutterstock

Actively sniffing out scents in nature can help bolster your sense of smell. Photo: Shutterstock 

A bowl of fortified granola containing vitamin B12 with healthful seeds and nuts - a good source of zinc. A lack of certain nutrients, including zinc and vitamin B12, has been linked to a loss of smell. Photo: Shutterstock

Keep well hydrated: a dry mouth affects your sense of smell. Photo: Shutterstock

Quitting smoking will improve your sense of smell. Photo: Shutterstock

Avoid coffee, onions, garlic and other strong scents, and notice how your sense of smell comes back. Photo: Shutterstock

What happens if you don’t sleep? How cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia – CBT-i – can help you ‘stop losing sleep over losing sleep’

CBT-i is empowering beyond drugs, sleep specialist Dr Barry Krakow says, adding:  “It teaches you to stop losing sleep over losing sleep.”
Photo: Shutterstock


If you have chronic insomnia, you may be losing sleep worrying about getting to sleep. Many sufferers are finding cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) gives them the ability to sleep soundly. Photo: Shutterstock 

Miranda Levy, who lived with insomnia for eight years, chronicles her experience in “The Insomnia Diaries”. Photo: Miranda Levy

The cover of Miranda Levy’s book. Photo: Amazon

CBT-i is growing in popularity in the US, says Gemma Fisk, a certified infant and adult sleep coach and CBT-i specialist in Hong Kong. Photo: Gemma Fisk

Being bullied as a child triggered anxiety – and chronic insomnia – in one of Fisk’s clients. CBT-i helped uncover the root of the problem, to help him finally get a good night’s sleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Any obstruction in the airway has the potential to trigger nocturia, a condition that causes you to wake up during the night to urinate. Photo: Shutterstock

What is Ménière’s disease, and is there a cure? Dizziness, loss of hearing and vomiting are symptoms of ear condition that caused Cantopop star Jacky Cheung to fall on stage

Jacky Cheung performs at Wembley Arena in London in 2018. After a fall on stage during a concert tour date in Malaysia which he attributed to Ménière’s disease, the Cantopop singer revealed he has suffered from the condition all his life. Photo: Redferns/Getty Images

Miller’s experience of Ménière’s disease was extremely distressing. Photo: May Tse

Ménière’s disease made news when Hong Kong Cantopop star Jacky Cheung attributed a fall on stage during a concert in Malaysia to the condition. Photo: YouTube/Xiao Hong Shu

Imaging scans and other tests may be used to rule out other conditions when a patient experiences symptoms of Ménière’s disease. Photo: Shutterstock

Miller with his family in Phuket, Thailand, in April. Photo: courtesy of Matthew Miller 

Cancer research: 80% rise in cases in younger people highlights need for lifestyle changes, and increased early screening, study authors say

In 2019, there were 3.26 million new cancer diagnoses in under-50s globally. Photo: Shutterstock

Factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption are contributing to a worrying rise in global cancer cases among younger people.
Photo: Shutterstock

Breast cancer made up the largest proportion of cancer cases diagnosed in patients under the age of 50 – 13.7 per every 100,000 people. Photo: Shutterstock

In 2019, there were 3.26 million new cancer diagnoses for under-50s, an increase of 79.1 per cent since 1990. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

High blood sugar caused by diabetes damages blood vessels in the body, including the eyes – but there may be no symptoms early on
Early detection and treatment can halt or slow vision loss; here are 11 signs telling you to see an eye doctor


High blood sugar from diabetes damages blood vessels, including those in the eye, leading to vision loss and blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can be treated, halted or prevented if caught early enough.


Disease

Medicine

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer

Explainer | How diabetes can trigger vision loss and blindness; 11 signs of diabetic retinopathy, and how to treat or prevent it

High blood sugar caused by diabetes damages blood vessels in the body, including the eyes – but there may be no symptoms early on Early detection and treatment can halt or slow vision loss; here are 11 signs telling you to see an eye doctor

High blood sugar caused by diabetes damages blood vessels in the body, including the eyes – but there may be no symptoms early on

Early detection and treatment can halt or slow vision loss; here are 11 signs telling you to see an eye doctor